The Unknown Guardian
by Dylan-Walts
Summary: It had been many years since Perseus Jackson, the Saviour of Olympus, had been sentenced to death. The life at Camp Half-Blood went on as usual, and the Immortal Heroes passed on their techniques to the younger generation. But what will happen when Artemis and her Hunters face imminent danger? What will happen when Artemis summons a brave Guardian to protect them? DW & CSP2708
1. Chapter 1

**Percy Jackson Fanfiction**

 **The Unknown Guardian**

 **Written by ~CSP2708~ and *Dillon_Walts***

 **Chapter 1**

 **The Resurrection**

 ***First Person Point of View ~ Percy***

The chains jangled loudly as I walked forwards, towards the Council. I had no idea why I had been summoned, but I knew that it was bad.

I was suddenly shoved forwards by Ares, who was the one holding my chains. "Keep moving, _traitor_ ," he hissed in my ear.

' _Wait…what?'_ I thought. I gave him a look of complete and utter surprise. ' _Why is he calling me a traitor? I mean, I know he hates me, but I saved Olympus_ _－_ _twice!'_ I racked my brain, trying to figure out why he called me that, when he shoved me again.

I groaned quietly, but did what he said and sped up, reaching the center of the throne room. I was definitely going to have a bruise there. He forced me to my knees, and then went over to his throne.

As I looked around the room, I saw that many of the gods were looking down at me with hate in their eyes. A few of the others _－_ not so much. Hades and Hestia, who had recently been added to the Council by my wishes, were staring down at me with sympathy and sadness, along with my father, Lady Artemis, and Lord Apollo. The rest of the Council though, was stiff and indifferent.

Finally, after the heavy silence, Zeus spoke. He started off by glaring at me. "Perseus Jackson! You have been accused of treason against Olympus! How do you plead?" His voice boomed throughout the room.

I was taken aback. If I had been standing, I would've definitely fallen on my butt. "I plead innocent of course! How could you possibly think that I betrayed Olympus?" I questioned, but Zeus slammed his Master Bolt down onto his arm rest, causing a loud crash of thunder to echo, attacking my eardrums. In spite of myself, I flinched.

"Do not lie to me! We have all seen what you did! Whether we choose to believe what we saw, though, is up to us." As he said that, he turned to glare at the only five gods that weren't staring at me with hate.

I sent them all a quick look of gratitude, happy that they believed that I was innocent.

"For your treason, you shall be sentenced to death!" Zeus said as he returned his glare to focus directly onto me.

Knowing that there was no way to change his mind, I said, "So be it. But I swear to you that you will regret this decision. Someday, whether it's tomorrow, or the next day, or even thousands of years from now, you will realize your mistake, and you will _wish_ that you listened to the truth," I told him, my voice sounding dark and ominous, even to me.

With that said, Zeus lifted his Master Bolt, and I accepted my fate. Just as he blasted me to oblivion, I closed my eyes, waiting for the intense pain. I wasn't disappointed. My whole body felt as if it were burning, every one of my cells spontaneously combusting.

And then, suddenly, it all stopped, and I felt nothing…

 ***Third Person Point of View***

It had been fifteen years since Percy Jackson was executed. Since then, the gods had found out the truth, but it was too late. Percy, their greatest hero and savior, was gone. Even his soul had vanished. He had never made it to the Underworld. There was no record of him anywhere in the mortal or mythological world ever since Zeus blasted him into ash.

The campers of Camp Half-Blood were devastated, Annabeth especially, but she knew that Percy wouldn't have wanted her to waste her life, so she moved on. At night though, when she knew that no one was watching, she let her feelings go, and sobbed for her lost love.

The gods that had betrayed him could not forgive themselves. Well…most of them. Ares and Dionysus were still indifferent about the whole thing.

While the other gods, the ones that had voted for his life and freedom, still grieved. The five Olympians shunned their family for what they had done, and refused to speak or come in contact with any of them unless for a Council Meeting, which only happened twice a year. And even then, the three gods and two goddesses refused to speak to anyone other than each other.

The five of them held their own meeting once a year, on August 18th, to mourn for their lost hero. Percy's shrine was near the edge of a high cliff, overlooking the ocean. Each year, they met, and honored Percy, bringing fresh flowers, offerings, and prayers that his soul had finally found peace, wherever he was…

 ***Third Person Point of View***

The night was quiet and peaceful. Crickets chirped softly in the trees, while the leaves rustled ever so slightly by the dull breeze. The quiet pitter-patter of the nocturnal animals echoed throughout the almost silent forest.

Among these creatures resided the _－_ ever-elegant and graceful _－_ hunters of Artemis. This small group of maidens traveled under the silvery light of their patron, Artemis, the goddess of the moon. Artemis ran alongside them, as her Roman form, Diana, drove her chariot across the night sky, passing by the stars and constellations, watching over the peaceful world below.

The brave hunters were chasing a small pack of hellhounds, which were large wolf-like beasts with matted black fur, glowing, crimson-colored eyes, and a taste for both demigod and mortal blood. The hellhounds pulled ahead, and all dashed into the cover of the thick shrubs.

The hunters followed, both on foot, as well as jumping amidst the trees. Branch to branch, they made the slightest sound, showing off their experience and the extent of their training. Just as the forest came to an end, the hunters found themselves at the edge of a shallow cliff.

The hellhounds had already started to climb down the jagged ridge, using goat paths as they jumped from foothold to foothold. Seeing their chance, the hunters all notched their arrows and aimed, but all wavered as their eyes caught sight of what was at the bottom of the cliff. It was a campsite, and not just any campsite. This campsite was filled to the brim with monsters. The variety was nearly endless, as the field was filled with large leather tepees, glowing campfires, and discarded piles of bones.

The hunters stood, shocked by the sheer amount of monsters in the one place. Artemis shook herself out of her shock first. She turned to her loyal followers. These girls were her sisters-in-arms. "We cannot let these monsters amass any more troops. We must destroy them now, so that they cannot attack later. Hopefully, we can destroy most of them before they notice that we are here," she said.

The hunters seemed doubtful, but they all nodded, new determination flickering to life in their eyes. Firstly, they shot down the hellhounds, to make sure that they didn't warn the others.

After they had been taken care of, the hunters, slowly and stealthily, made their way down the cliff. The monsters were far too distant for the hunter's arrows to make any difference from the top of the cliff, so they sacrificed their higher ground for efficiency. One misstep and the monsters would know that they were there. As silent as could be, they made it all the way to the bottom of the cliff, which wasn't very high, maybe thirty feet or so. There were plenty of handholds and footholds, so they made it down without a problem.

Once they had reached the bottom, they crept forwards, and started by taking out the monsters on the far outskirts of the camp. That way, the other monsters wouldn't notice until it was too late.

After a few minutes, they had managed to take out a quarter of the monsters, but sadly, luck wasn't on their side. It was bound to happen, but Artemis wished that the inevitable could've waited just a few minutes more.

One of her hunters, the smallest, a dark-haired girl named Tristy, tripped over a pile of bones, sending them clattering to the ground.

The sudden sound caught the monsters' attention, and they looked over to see the hunters, all poised to strike, their arrows all pointed towards the monster campsite. All of the monsters let out their own loud roar; they were angered by the sight of the girls that had sent them back to Tartarus so many times. They all stood and charged, ready to destroy the young maidens.

The hunters fired as many arrows as they could, but it only made a small dent in the monsters' forces. They were soon forced to abandon their bows, using their silver hunting knives instead. The monsters closed in, and several of them were reduced to dust by the skilled goddess and her hunters, but their sheer numbers were slowly overwhelming the group.

Suddenly, a scream rang out. Artemis turned to see that one of her hunters had fallen, and she knew that they couldn't win. She called all of her hunters back, and stood in between them and the monster army, protectively. Everything was brought to a standstill.

Right in that moment, she made a decision that would change her life forever. "Hunters, get back!" she said, just to make sure that they weren't going to be put in danger by what she was about to do.

As soon as she was sure that they were all at a safe distance, she gathered her energy. Her whole body began to glow with a bright, silvery light, forcing both the monsters and her hunters to cover their eyes. The silver light just kept getting brighter, and brighter, until it suddenly shot outwards in all directions, the beams instantly lighting up everything in a five kilometer radius. When, suddenly, as soon as every beam of light reached the distance of five kilometers, they all stopped moving, and turned into a strange, silvery mist, circling Artemis.

And as soon as the light turned to mist, Artemis collapsed, causing her hunters to call out to her. They had all been able to take their hands away from their eyes as the light dimmed, and saw that their mistress had fallen unconscious from the display of power.

Their attention was soon taken away from their mistress, however, when the silver mist turned back into light as it raced back towards them, faster than a speeding bullet. Every beam of light collided into the center, and started to churn.

Once it had assumed a shape, the light shattered, to reveal a figure, standing above Artemis, facing the enemy army. This figure, obviously male, was wearing a black cloak, with a hood, silver lining the edges. On the back of the cloak, there was a design. It was a full moon, with two black arrows crossed over top of it in an X shape.

The figure stood unearthly still, until he sprung into action, he drew two swords, both silver, and lunged at the monsters at inhuman speed. The only indication that he was there, was the silver trail left behind him. He stopped as suddenly as he had started, on the other side of the valley.

All at once, as if the monster's bodies had finally realized that they had been destroyed, all of the monsters broke apart and disintegrated.

The man who had destroyed them returned to where the hunters were kneeling, in front of their mistress, trying to see how to help her. He stopped, a few feet away, and asked, "May I heal her?"

The hunters were skeptical, but seeing as he had just saved their lives, they decided to let him. Thalia, who was right next to her mistress, nodded.

The man knelt down, careful not to make contact with Artemis. Instead, he held his hand above her forehead, and his hand began to glow. The soft silver glow slowly spread across Artemis' whole body, and the color returned to her face. Suddenly, she gasped and sat up, her eyes snapping open. The man quickly retracted his hand, to make sure that she didn't hit it as she sat up, and he moved away. As Artemis regained her breath, she looked around at her hunters.

Once her gaze landed on the man, her eyes widened, and she gasped. "It actually worked," she said, staring at him.

The man smiled, but it was hard to see under his hood.

Now that the hunters got a closer look, they were surprised to see that he had a silver mask on his face. The mask was plain—covering half his face, cutting off at his cheekbones—except for the black crescent moon on his forehead.

"Yes, it worked," he said, looking directly at Artemis. "Now that I am here, is there anything you wish for me to do, Milady Artemis?" he asked, surprising the hunters further.

Artemis flushed with embarrassment, because she had forgotten how the whole arrangement worked. "Um…I guess you can patrol the forest for any leftover monsters. Just don't disturb us," she said.

He nodded and crossed one hand over his chest, then bowed slightly. "Of course, Milady Artemis," he said.

But before he could leave, Artemis called him back. "Wait! How…how do you know my name?" she asked.

A quiet chuckle erupted from the man's mouth. "Of course I know who you are. You have summoned me, have you not? I am now bonded with you for eternity, under an oath to protect and provide for you and those you care for. It is within my oath as a member of the Guardians' Guild," he said before making his way out into the forest, scouting for any monsters that may have escaped.

As soon as he was gone, the hunters all turned to their mistress. "Who is that boy? And why is he here?" they questioned, causing Artemis to sigh.

"Girls, quiet down. I'll explain everything," she said.

The hunters gathered around, eager to hear what their mistress had to say.

Artemis took a deep breath. "I knew that we weren't going to be able to hold off those monsters back there. If we had continued to fight, there was no doubt that we would have lost some of our own. So I took a chance. But before I can tell you what that chance was, I need to start from the beginning.

"Right after the first Titan war, when the gods were building Olympus, they were _－_ dare I say it _－_ vulnerable. They had many enemies that wanted to destroy them, so they needed someone to protect them as they slowly grew in power. The eldest six Olympians made a deal with a very powerful being, so old that even I do not know the name of, and he agreed to train soldiers to protect them. Soon enough, the six were attacked, and in the time of danger, they called forth Guardians to protect them. The ancient being had kept his word, and sent them each a Guardian to protect and fight alongside them.

"Many years passed, and new Olympians were crowned. On the day of their crowning, these gods each received their own Guardian. Eventually, I did as well. For many years, the Olympians and their Guardians fought side-by-side, and prosperity ruled over Greece. But when Gaea awoke to find that the Titans had been defeated, she grew angry, and sired the giants to destroy the gods. The gods and their Guardians fought bravely, but alas, all of the Guardians had died during the battle, in order to protect their charges.

"The tradition had been broken, as the gods were heartbroken by the loss of their friends, and they no longer summoned Guardians. The years went on, and the story of the Guardians faded into legend, only the Olympian gods knowing that the story was true. Today, I took a chance, and summoned a Guardian. He will now be with us until his death," Artemis explained.

"That is correct," a voice said. The girls turned to see the man standing a few feet away.

He crossed his arm over his chest and bowed, "Milady Artemis, I have finished patrolling the woods. There are no monsters within a great distance of this place. I know that you requested that I do not disturb you and your huntresses, but I heard you talking, and I am willing to inform you of anything you wish to know," he said politely.

Artemis was surprised that he was being so polite, but she nodded, thinking back to her previous Guardian. _He_ had been kind as well, the only male to ever show her and her hunters proper respect. Ever since he died, however, it had been hard. She couldn't look at a male without remembering him, so she treated them harshly, only to see how cruel they were when they reacted. _He_ had never reacted as such when she mistreated him. He had always been kind and understanding, providing advice and protection for both her and her hunters, even though his oath only stated for him to protect her.

She was snapped out of her daydreaming as the man cleared his throat, "Milady?" he asked, wondering why she hadn't answered yet.

She nodded once more, "Oh, yes, go ahead. Tell us everything," she commanded.

The man nodded in reply. He snapped his fingers, and the air around them glowed, and suddenly, all of the hunters' tents and supplies shot out of their bags, the tents setting themselves up and the supplies and bags all going to their separate tents.

He snapped his fingers once more, and some logs floated out of the woods, forming a circle in the center of camp, around a campfire pit that appeared suddenly. The man sat down, gesturing for the hunters and their mistress to sit as well.

He took a deep breath before he began. "When heroes are taken into the Guardians' Guild, they all start by swearing an oath of the highest order, to protect and provide for their charge, and fight to their last breath. Once their oath is accepted, they begin training. All Guardians are trained in their own unique way, in order to learn the skills that they require to protect their chosen god or goddess. Obviously, the heroes are not allowed to choose their own godly parent _－_ if they are indeed a demigod, and must always choose an Olympian of the opposite gender," the man explained.

"Why?" one of the hunters asked. This hunter was physically twelve years old, but she had been in the Hunt for quite a long time. Her name was Heather. Her hair was honey-blonde with multicolored, dyed tips, and she wore a rainbow-colored shirt under her silver hunting jacket, which was unzipped at the moment.

The Guardian shrugged. "I…don't actually know why that is. It's just a rule," he said. "Anyways, the heroes train, and eventually they take another oath, this time, to their specific god or goddess personally, and standby, usually training and such, until their god or goddess calls upon them for help. At the moment, I was the only Guardian who chose you, since there aren't many males that would like to be your Guardian, for obvious reasons, and since females are not allowed to choose you," the Guardian explained.

Artemis and her hunters nodded, showing that they understood, but Artemis still had a question. "But…just how do heroes get instated in the Guardians' Guild?" she asked; there was an underlining of hope in her voice.

Though it was hard to tell with his hood, he seemed to smile as he answered. "Once every decade, the Great One chooses a hero from the Underworld to become a member. These heroes must be strong, powerful, and courageous, but also humble, caring, and gentle. They cannot be boastful or arrogant. He brings them to his realm and offers them a position. If they accept, they swear their oath, and if they decline, their memories are erased and they are sent back to the Underworld."

The Guardian paused for a second, as if a thought had occurred to him, before he continued speaking. "Though, a rare occurrence, depending on both the time of year and if the hero caught the Great One's attention, they do not make it to the Underworld, and are taken immediately after death."

He suddenly saw a spark of hope come to life in both Artemis' and Thalia's eyes, and sent them both a confused look. "And what if, per say, a very great hero died around two decades ago?" Thalia asked.

The Guardian tilted his head. "Well, if he or she was a great hero, then I am sure that they would definitely be offered a position. Was this hero arrogant or anything? Any negative drawbacks?" he asked.

Thalia shook her head. "No. Even his fatal flaw was good. It was Personal Loyalty," she replied, though her voice had suddenly turned sad.

"Well, then this hero would definitely have become a Guardian, but you probably won't see him anytime soon, sorry to say. He'd have to go through the rigorous training, and, depending on which goddess he chose, he'd be waiting until his time to be summoned," the Guardian said.

"Oh," Thalia said, her face turning somber.

"But I am sure, that if the Guardians were summoned again, you could very well see him," the Guardian said, in hopes of cheering her up.

"Now, I believe that it is time to go to sleep. Everyone rest, and tomorrow, we can tell the other Olympians about the monster army. I will be on night watch," he said, standing up.

The hunters seemed reluctant, but in the end all stood, heading to their tents. Thalia and her mistress were the last to leave, walking a bit slower than the others.

As soon as they were out of sight, the Guardian sighed. "If only I could tell you…" he said, staring at their tents, which were at the very top of the semicircle of the campsite…

 **Word Count: 3685**


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

 **Hidden Identity**

 ***First Person Point of View ~ Artemis's Guardian***

As I watched over Lady Artemis' camp, I couldn't help but let my mind wander back to my training in the Guardians Guild.

As my thoughts clouded my vision, I allowed my senses to stretch, which was a skill that I had learned when I first entered the Guild. It allowed me to survey my surroundings to the very best of my abilities, as well as sense all other life forms, no matter how shielded or how insignificant.

I remembered the training very clearly. It was painfully difficult, but I'd dedicated my life to the cause. The Great One had warned me of the difficulties before I'd accepted, but I knew that I would never be able to clear my past name otherwise. He kept his word of course, and put me through countless exercises to test my strength, loyalty, and bravery.

Some of his training sessions even tested my trust and faith in my superiors. Many times, he had asked me to do things that I'd never consciously do otherwise.

Every time, though, I followed orders, no matter how much danger said orders put me in. For I was merely a pawn, I knew that. I had been a pawn all my life. Knowing that I was a pawn for good, and not evil _－_ that was what kept me going. And knowing that even as a pawn, I was respected, and not merely cast aside－it allowed me to feel pride.

I was broken out of my musings as I felt a presence approach me. Looking down, I saw Lady Artemis, standing all alone, staring up at me.

"Guardian, come down here. I wish to speak to you," she said.

I nodded, realizing that I was still sitting in a tree. I jumped down, landing squarely on my feet, bending my knees slightly to allow the jolt travel through my body, releasing the tension into the air around me.

Lady Artemis was watching me closely, assessing my skills.

"Very impressive. I still cannot find any flaws in you," she told me.

"I was trained to be a perfect match for you Milady. I must match your skills, as well as made up for your minimal weaknesses. It is my only purpose. I am meant to keep you in perfect condition, which means your physical health, but your mental and emotional health as well," I replied.

Artemis frowned, as if she still wasn't used to the idea of having a Guardian. Of course, I didn't expect her to.

"Anyways, I wanted to talk to you about something," she said.

"Of course. What is it that you need?" I asked.

"I wish to know your identity."

I paused. I was not expecting that. I began to contemplate whether or not to tell her. Telling wouldn't break any rules, but I didn't know what would happen if I did tell her. Would she shun me? Did the gods still believe that I was a traitor? Artemis may have been one of the gods who pleaded my case, but who's to say that she hasn't changed her mind about me. She was, of course, a man-hating goddess, and I was, after all, a man.

"I apologize Milady. I do not believe that it is the right time to reveal myself to you."

Artemis frowned once more, causing me to flinch. I did not like it when she frowned. It meant that I was not doing my job as her guardian correctly.

"Very well," she decided after a few moments. She was about to walk away when I called out to her. She turned, curious. I chose my next words carefully before elaborating as she turned.

"Please, Milady, I need you to understand. I wish to tell you my identity, but if I did so now, I believe your reaction would be unpleasant. I do plan to tell you…someday. Until then, though, I'm afraid you must wait."

Artemis only sighed in return. "Yes, I do understand. I only wish that I knew, because you remind so much of someone that I used to know. And I miss him very much," she told me as she turned to walk back to her tent.

I had a feeling that I wasn't supposed to hear the last part, as she lowered her voice, but with my advanced hearing, I did. I watched her go, feeling a strange emotion bubbling in my chest as she did. As she walked further away, the bubbling emotion grew stronger. I knew right away what it was, and tried to force it down. It was forbidden for a Guardian to feel that way for their charge. It was against the very code of the Guardians' Guild.

I finally managed to stamp out the feeling as she pulled back the flap of her tent and disappeared.

 ***First Person Point of View ~ Artemis***

As I walked into my tent after speaking with my Guardian, I had a lot on my mind. I was still getting used to the fact that the Guardians still existed. And on top of that, I had one! I had to tell the Council about the new development, but that meant that I would have to see them.

I still hadn't forgiven most of them for what they had done to young Perseus all those years ago. He had been the only male that I had approved of, and－dare I say it－respected. Yes. I, Phoebe Artemis, respected a male. Orion never counted, for I had not respected him, I respected his skills. But Perseus… he had broken the rules of the camp to save the Annabeth girl, and he had also saved me from the sky, taking the immense burden from me, all because he accepted the fact that he was not powerful enough to battle Atlas.

He was the perfect example of a male who possessed the traits that I believed all males lacked. He was humble, caring, gentle, and treated women the way we should be treated. And, as much as I hated to admit it, I had begun to develope feelings for the boy.

For the next few hours, I pondered, merely remembering Perseus as he was. Suddenly realizing that I had yet to inform the Council about my Guardian, I shook my head clear, and teleported to Olympus.

As I arrived I saw that the whole Council was there, as silent as stones. It seemed that they were waiting for something to break the grueling silence.

Sitting in my throne, I addressed my father stoically, drawing the entire Council's attention, "Father, I have something I wish to report."

"Well daughter what is it?" he asked.

I glared at him, still quite angry at him, but I could tell that he too wished for something interesting to happen. Each and every one of them looked like they were bored out of their minds.

"Well, I have recently found out that the Guardian's Guild is still alive and active," I informed them. That ought to perk their interest.

I was right, of course, as they all jerked up in their seats. They all had looks of excitement spread across their faces at the thought of the Guardian's Guild still being around.

At first I wondered why, but then I realized that they were probably having the same thoughts as I had when I'd first found out. Maybe Perseus would be brought back if we summoned our guardians. The problem with that was figuring out whom Percy had chosen. Of course, he'd have to choose a goddess, and he'd probably choose either me or Hestia, as we were the only ones who attempted to put an end to his wrongful execution.

Another issue was that I already had a guardian, and I wasn't sure how long he'd last, or if Perseus was waiting in a very long line to be summoned. Gods could only summon one guardian at a time, and it would be wrong if they tried to get rid of their previous guardian just to summon another. If that happened, the all powerful being would probably not allow that god to summon any more guardians, and the plan would completely backfire on itself.

I was ripped out of my rambling thoughts as Zeus called the Council to silence. He turned to address me, "Daughter, I know this question may seem obvious, and I know that you do not wish to talk to me right now, but I must ask: how is it that you have come by this knowledge?"

I was quite shocked by the way he formed his question. I guess he has decided to change his ways since Perseus' death. And since I have been actively avoiding him for the past fifteen years, I haven't noticed.

Responding to his question, I said, "Earlier, my hunters and I stumbled upon a monster's encampment, and we found that their sheer numbers would be too much for us alone. I took a risk, and performed the summoning ritual. Sure enough, someone appeared and saved us from the threat. Now, he is guarding my camp, in case any danger is to befall them."

As I finished speaking, I met my father directly in the eyes, and a silent agreement was exchanged. If Percy was ever summoned, Zeus would try to right his wrongs, not only with Percy, but with everyone who cared for Percy.

I nodded subtly to my father's silent plea, and didn't miss how his eyes lit up with joy. My gaze wandered around the room, and I saw that the other four who had defended Percy all had the same knowing look in their eyes, and I immediately knew that they'd made the same deal with the others.

"Well," Zeus cleared his throat, "I say we make an agreement not to summon the Guardians unless we are in great mortal peril, as Artemis did. All those in favor?" he asked.

Every hand was raised. Father nodded in approval.

"Okay, all of us are in favor. I now call this meeting to a close."

Without waiting another second, I flashed back to my hunters' camp. Once I arrived, I saw that my Guardian and my hunters were all cozied up around the campfire. Getting closer, I could hear my Guardian speaking. He was telling the story of how my brother, Apollo, and I, had defeated the mighty Python. I guess that they couldn't sleep.

 **Word Count: 1747**

 **CSP2708**

 **Dylan Walts**


	3. Chapter 3

**Little Note I read every review and if you don't like this then don't leave a Negative review constructive criticism is better!**

 **DW**

 **Chapter 3**

 **Camp Half Blood**

 ***Third Person Point of View***

Over the next few days, the hunters had begun to warm up to their new guardian, even though some still felt insulted by the presence of the male. Even so, they couldn't use excuses of him being the common male, because he acted in such a way that surprised them all.

He was kind and caring in the least insulting way, and helped out when he felt that they needed it. He never gave them the impression that he thought that they couldn't handle themselves, which they were all grateful for.

On top of everything, he had volunteered himself to help out with their chores, still giving them their responsibilities, but also providing assistance to allow the jobs move along smoother, which in turn gave them more time to train and practise their archery.

All of his actions as guardian helped the hunters to accept him, but his true moment of trustworthiness was when they travelled to the Greek demigod camp, Camp Half-Blood.

When Artemis had announced their next destination to her hunters, they all groaned in annoyance.

For some, it was bad enough to have a male guardian, but even worse to be around other males as well. For the rest, while they didn't mind being around their guardian, they absolutely despised the males of Camp Half-Blood, because they usually ended up flirting with or otherwise bothering them during their stay.

They arrived, as grouchy as ever, and immediately made their way to their cabin, hoping to get there without any distractions.

Unfortunately, the Ares and Hermes cabins had other plans.

"Well hello, ladies," a voice called as the hunters walked across the central field.

They stopped, knowing that the torment wouldn't end unless they made it clear to the campers that they didn't want to be disturbed.

A large group of males－the ensemble nearly as large as the hunters themselves－approached. Many of them could be recognized as children of Ares, due to their bulky stature and crude-looking faces. The others, though few in numbers, were Hermes campers, easily recognized by their pointy, elfish ears and sly, impish grins.

Even though Artemis wasn't with them, the hunters knew that they could easily take down the group of males. Their guardian was among them, though he stood at the side, clearly giving them the idea that he would let them handle the situation, but if he felt that they needed him in any way, he would be there.

"What do you say that we go and… have a little fun?" the leader spoke again, eyeing one of the older huntresses. He had bulging muscles lining his arms and stomach, which he showed off by not wearing a camp shirt. He flexed his biceps, trying to show off.

The huntress－a girl by the name of Jessica, whom was a daughter of Athena－just crossed her arms, glaring back at him. "Not interested," she said dismissively.

He moved closer, causing the hunters to back away. Thalia decided to step in.

"She said she wasn't interested jerk. So just back off!"

The boy's face reddened in anger, clearly upset by being rejected _and_ embarrassed in front of his friends.

"Yeah, well… I don't really care! You can all just go and－" he didn't get to finish his sentence however, as a fist nailed him in the jaw, snapping his mouth closed. He backed away, holding his face and sticking out his tongue, which had become very red as it was spewing out blood.

"Who di' tha'?" he asked, his voice distorted because of his rapidly swelling tongue. "I near'y bi' my tongue off! Who di' tha'?" His eyes dashed from face to face, trying to determine the cuprit.

"She told you to back off, not keep talking. Clearly, you should have backed off," a calm voice said.

Everyone's attention turned to the person who spoke－the hunters' guardian.

"You di' this? You ba－"

He was cut off once again as the Guardian grabbed his tongue, causing him to yelp in pain, rearing backwards. The Guardian's grip did not relent however, holding the Ares boy there by his tongue.

"Watch your tongue, or I'm sure that the hunters will be glad to cut _the rest_ of it off. These ladies have no interest in you or any of your friends. You are blind if you cannot see that, so I would recommend that you leave them alone, or next time, I won't be around to save you from their wrath."

The Guardian spoke calmly, but the seriousness of his words weighed down upon the boys. They all nodded, and as soon as the Guardian let go of the kid's tongue, he ran off, his friends close behind.

Wiping the blood off his hands as if nothing had happened, the guardian turned back to the hunters and bowed, one arm behind his back, and the other gesturing invitingly towards their cabin.

As soon as they reached the cabin, he opened the door, and held it as they walked in. Then, he closed it behind them and stood at the front of the cabin, his body so still, he could've been mistaken for a statue.

Later that evening, when Artemis returned to the cabin to collect the girls for dinner, she noticed the guardian outside the door.

"Good evening milady Artemis. I trust that your interaction with Chiron went well?" he greeted as she approached.

She nodded, "Yes, it did. We have sorted out the issue and tomorrow, we should be prepared to leave."

"Milady, I do not mean to question your orders, but what of the Capture the Flag game? I'm sure that the tradition is still active. And, of course, even though there may be discomfort in staying within the camp, the hunters must be tired from the recent travel, and of course, the recent mission. I'm sure that it would be excellently strategic to stay for a few days at most, in order to replenish our energy," the Guardian suggested.

Artemis paused as she reached the door, thinking about his suggestion. Finally she nodded, "Very well. We shall stay a few days, and participate in the games. I'm sure that a leisurely competition will help the hunters to relax."

The Guardian nodded, opening the door for her.

As she entered, she turned back. "Will you not be resting? Surely you'd like to sleep in a bed for a change. You have been on night watch ever since I summoned you."

The Guardian shook his head. "I will respect the privacy of you and your hunters. Also, I am able to replenish my strength by being half-awake and half-asleep. It is an ability that is very useful while on missions. It may have the user in a trance-like state, but one can be easily awoken from this state, and freshly rejuvenated upon doing so," he explained.

His explanation left Artemis slightly confused, but she nodded anyways, and headed inside, the Guardian shutting the door behind her.

The next day, Capture the Flag was on everyone's minds. At breakfast, the hunters could hear the campers before they saw them, as they were all discussing what strategies and traps they should use for the game.

After eating a healthy breakfast, the hunters gathered in their cabin, surrounding a large map of the forest which included the boundary line.

"I think we should set layers of traps for the campers, so we don't need to worry so much about defence, and can sneak across to steal their flag," one of the hunters suggested.

More ideas were exchanged, and eventually, the hunters all agreed upon their plans and set out to prepare.

The game was beginning to get underway. The campers were rustling, their armour clanking loudly as they waited. Their restless behaviour caused the hunters to smile, as they were calm and confident. They had spent the whole morning setting up their traps, and were ready to－once again－achieve victory ovcer the campers.

Meanwhile, their patron, Artemis, stood with their guardian, not participating in the game. They would merely watch, as their skills would make the teams unfair.

Soon, the game was underway, and as soon as the campers crossed the boundary into the hunters' territory, all hell broke loose. Traps were sprung, nets were cast, and demigods hit the ground left and right. The hunters however, had no problems sneaking across the demigod's side of the forest. They swiftly avoided the carelessly placed traps and took down any enemy campers with ease.

All too soon, Thalia and two other hunters entered the clearing where the campers' flag was being kept. Thalia plucked it out of the ground, and together, the three of them ran back towards their side, flanked by several more hunters who were guarding their backs.

Seeing as the winner was quite obvious, Artemis and her guardian teleported back to the cabin, deciding to wait until the hunters returned.

The conch horn blew as soon as they cross the creek, and both the campers and the hunters sighed－the campers sighing in defeat, while the hunters with in disappointment.

"Usually, this lasts longer, but that was when Percy…that was when Percy was still alive," Thalia said, choking up at Percy's name. She threw the flag down in the dirt, and she and the hunters walked dejectedly back to the cabin, their mood spoiled.

"Let's go," Artemis told her hunters as they entered the cabin. "Pack up."

 **Word Count: 1579**

 **CSP2708**

 **Dylan Walts**


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

 **Rough Journey to…**

 ***Third Person Point of View***

"Milady, may I ask, where are we headed?"

They had been trekking through the woods for hours, and most of the hunters were starting to get sore, even with their blessings of Artemis. The Guardian even offered to carry some of the younger huntresses on his shoulders, so now, two seven-year-old girls were perched on either side of his head.

"You may ask, but I will withhold that information. I cannot tell you where we are going until we get there," Artemis replied cryptically.

The Guardian nodded, slowing his pace to return to the back of the group. It was a few days after they had left Camp Half-Blood, and they had just been camping peacefully in those few days of relaxation. Sadly, it didn't last.

During one campfire, while the hunters were roasting freshly caught salmon over the fire, a falcon had swooped in and landed on the log right next to Artemis. Strangely enough, the falcon was holding a letter, and as soon as Artemis read the letter, she panicked. All of a sudden, she had the hunters packing up their gear once again, and then they began their long journey through the darkened wilderness, even though it was nearly ten o'clock, and some of the younger huntresses had to go to sleep.

The Guardian was brought out of his thoughts as the huntress in front of him－Jessica, the daughter of Athena－dropped to the ground, exhausted. He carefully knelt down, trying to avoid waking the children he was carrying, as they had recently fallen asleep.

"Are you alright?" he asked, holding out his hand to her.

Jessica nodded, taking his hand with a kind smile. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks," she mumbled, giving a yawn. "Just…tired…" She let out a huge yawn then, interrupting herself.

"Okay. Try to keep moving though, I'm sure we'll get there soon," he assured her.

Jessica nodded again. "I know. It's just… Artemis has never done this to us before. We're usually prepared." Running after the group, which had gone ahead without them, Jessica slowed down to walk next to her two best friends, the twin daughters of Hephaestus, Leah and Dottie.

The Guardian smiled at the girls and made his way back to the group as well, moving quickly and smoothly, making sure that the two ginger-haired girls on his shoulders－Myah and Kiara－stayed snoring.

Later on, Artemis stopped, and the hunters sighed in relief, all collapsing to the ground. They were all panting for breath, completely exhausted. The Guardian stopped as well, and gently set down the two girls he was carrying, approaching Artemis.

She was standing at the top of a hill, staring down at something in the valley below.

"Milady?" he asked.

She didn't look at him, merely said: "We're here."

The Guardian continued to climb the hill towards her. "Where, milady?" he asked.

She turned back to look at him as he was merely feet away from her. "Here," she said, turning back around and nodding at something below.

Finally, the Guardian reached her side, and as he stood by her side, his eyes searching for what she was looking at, his jaw dropped. "Of course…" he muttered. "We're here…"

 **Word Count: 540**


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

 **And Then There were Twelve**

 ***Third Person Point of View***

Everything was in chaos.

The Romans scurried back and forth, some trying to put out fires that had started all over the fields of Mars, while others were defending against the waves upon waves of monsters. The Greeks were there too, having received an urgent distress call from their brothers and sisters in arms. Luckily, they had arrived quickly, as Hermes himself provided transport. The rest of the gods fought alongside their children, facing the generals of the opposing army who couldn't be identified from the hill the hunters resided on.

"Oh no!" Jessica cried as she ran up the hill. She had woken up from her short nap to the sounds of battle, and was immediately on her feet, ready to investigate.

Her outcry alerted the other hunters, who wake as well from where they had all passed out. They sprinted up the hill to stand at their mistress' side, only for their eyes to fall upon the battle.

"We've got to help them!" Thalia shouted, causing all of her fellow hunters to nod in approval. Just because they didn't like the campers didn't mean that they would let them die.

Artemis seemed unsure. "Are you all well-rested?" she asked. "I know that I forced you all to rush here so quickly. I won't send you into battle only to have you killed."

Thalia smiled at her half-sister. "Don't worry. The adrenaline should keep us alive. Besides, we have a guardian to protect us now, so it shouldn't be a problem. Don't you remember how he took on that army last time?"

The hunters all turned to their guardian expectantly. He merely shook his head. "It doesn't work that way. I'm not exactly sure, but while I was training, the Great One told us that only when a guardian is summoned－or if his or her charge was in great danger－would the guardian be blessed with such untold speed and strength. Without that, I can only fight as an average warrior with my training. I humbly say that I can best thousands of monsters myself, but even I cannot be in all places as once."

The hunters looked away, disappointed. "Wait! I have an idea!" Jessica exclaimed, and the other girls present could practically see a light bulb floating above her head.

"What is it Jessica?" Artemis asked the daughter of Athena.

"What if the other gods summoned their guardians? They only do it in times of great need, right? This seems like one of those times," she said, pointing towards the battle down below.

"A brilliant idea Jessica! I will inform the others of this plan. Meanwhile, I wish for you to partake in the battle, but if you feel too tired to fight, I order you to stay here where it's safe." Artemis then disappeared, reappearing in the rabble below to aid the other Olympians.

The guardian turned to his charge's prized pupils. He wanted so badly to protect them all, but he had a terrible feeling that at least one of them would die in this battle. Though he saw that they had such determination in their eyes, he also saw exhaustion. They wouldn't be safe if they fought in such a condition. They wouldn't be safe anyway, but their chance of death nearly doubled if they chose to fight in their current states.

"I will protect you all the best I can. Please stay close if you wish to fight. Those of you who are too young or too tired, stay here. That is an order. I do not wish for you to die here today," he said, then turning as well and marching down the slope into the throng of monsters,

He approached them from behind, as their attention was mostly focused on invading the camp in front of them. Taking a deep breath, the guardian rushed forwards with his enhanced speed, and carved a wide line in the monsters, parting them like the Red Sea.

The hunters followed behind him, cutting away at the monsters with their arrows as they ran down to defend the Romans and their camp.

As the battle raged on around them, the Olympian gods and goddesses fought to defend their children. Their opponents, the Titans, were nearly overpowering them. Hyperion, Oceanus, Koios, Iapetus, Kronos, and Krios were all there, but there was something different about them, Their eyes were glazed over and their fighting style was different than usual. It was almost as if they were… brainwashed.

It didn't matter though. The plain truth was that they were endangering the Roman demigods and their camp. The gods didn't know what the sudden attack meant for Olympus, but for the moment, they would have to focus on the battle.

Suddenly, as if by some miracle, Artemis appeared, letting loose a barrage of arrows, sending a whole squadron of monsters back to Tartarus.

"Olympians!" she called, "Summon your guardians! They will help us best this army!" She continued firing, taking down the monsters that flanked the Titans. The Olympians all paused in their battles for a split second, realizing that what she said was true. Why hadn't _they_ thought of it?

Zeus, Athena, Poseidon, Hermes, and Dionysus immediately performed the summoning ritual, while the others continued fighting. The summonings weren't as amazing as Artemis' summoning, as they weren't using it as a last resort, but suddenly－after a bright flash that stunned everyone around them－five hooded figures appeared. They all attacked at once, taking out half of the Titans present. They then went on to destroy many of the monsters in the army.

Soon though, after nearly half of the army had been demolished, the Initial Summoning Energy wore off, and the five guardians slowed to a normal pace. Six more guardians were suddenly summoned as well－this time by Aphrodite, Hephaestus, Hades, Ares, Demeter, and Apollo.

With the aid of the new allies in play, the Olympians were able to finally put a stop to the Titans leading the army.

Once all the monster had been defeated, the Olympians stood in a semicircle in front of the campers. Standing at their sides were their guardians. All except Hera and Hestia had guardians.

"My lords and ladies, who are these strangers?" Reyna－the Praetor of the camp－asked.

"Romans, Greeks, these are the guardians of Olympus," Zeus announced to the ensemble of demigods that stood before him. "I'm sure you've all heard the tale. Well, it is not a myth. Like most other legends you've heard, this story is true."

"If it were true, then why didn't you summon guardians earlier when we needed them in the last two wars?" a demigods called out from the crowd, causing an uproar of angry shouts of agreement.

"Silence!" Zeus shouted over the indignant exclamations of the crowd. They all immediately fell silent.

Athena stepped forwards to explain. "We did not summon guardians before because until now, we were unaware of their existence. In the ancient times, during the period directly after we defeated the Titans for the first time, we did not have demigods to defend us. As a part of an ancient pact, an all-powerful and neutral Being agreed to train warriors for us, so that if we needed them, they could defend us. Unfortunately, when Gaea awoke the first time, and tried to overthrow us by birthing the giants, every single guardian was killed. After that, since our companions had been slayed, we stopped summoning them, and eventually we forgot about the agreement, and history faded into legend."

The campers were fascinated by the truth of the story they'd all heard so many times in their lifetime. They loved the story, training and studying to become one of the fabled heroes.

Athena continued, "Only recently, Artemis' hunters entered a battle they could not win, and Artemis attempted to summon a guardian, surprisingly succeeding. I know that the Greek campers have met him during the hunters' stay at their camp. Now you know who he is, so you should now know not to aggravate the hunters, as he has sworn to protect them as well."

At that statement, the campers all nodded, as they had already seen what Artemis' guardian had done to the unlucky Ares camper that had approached the hunters.

It was silent for a moment, before the guardian of Zeus stepped forwards and turned to face the gods directly. "My lords and ladies, we have been waiting millennia to be summoned. We have all trained tirelessly and faithfully. Therefore, we wish to work without masks, as it is customary for a guardian to reveal themselves directly after being summoned." Her head tilted as she turned her gaze upon Artemis' guardian. "Though, there are some exceptions…" she added as an afterthought.

Zeus nodded, and the other gods shuffled awkwardly, having forgotten exactly how the guardianship deal worked. Artemis smiled in sympathy, as she had felt the same when she had first summoned her guardian.

"I shall go first," she said. "My name is Aikaterine, and I am the guardian of Zeus." She removed her hood and mask, revealing light blonde hair and fairly tanned skin. Her eyes shone bright blue, and she gave off a calm aura.

She first bowed to each of the gods, and then turned to face the campers－giving a salute－before returning to Zeus' side.

Next, Poseidon's guardian revealed herself. "I am Kleopatra, and I am the guardian of Poseidon." Her hair was blonde as well, but her skin was pale, unlike Aikaterine's. She had sharp features, like those of the Hermes cabin, and she gave a mischievous smile as she saluted the campers.

"I am Dareios, guardian of Demeter." His introduction was short, and he quickly flicked off his hood and mask, revealing dark brown hair, which was cropped short－army style. His face was stoic, and carried many scars, but if one looked close enough, they could see a kind nature hiding beneath his solomness.

"Hello, my name is Eulalia. I chose to be the guardian and companion of Ares." The guardian smiled as her light brown hair fell in delicate curls around her face. She has pristine cream-coloured skin and small, heart-shaped lips. Everything about her practically screamed "breakable". She gave a small wave to the campers, smiling brightly.

"Nereus, guardian of Athena." He carelessly revealed his black hair and sea green eyes, obviously a son of Poseidon. His features were sharp though, and he'd obviously gotten the rest of his looks from his mother, because his facial features made him look nothing like his father. Sharp intelligence gleamed in his eyes.

"My name is Lysandra. I'm the guardian of Apollo." This guardian had bright blonde hair－nearly golden－and her cloudy grey eyes caught the light in the most amazing way.

At that point, everyone turned expectantly towards Artemis' guardian, as they had been going in order by the thrones in the Olympian throne room. He merely shook his head. Instead, Artemis spoke up."My guardian wishes to remain anonymous for reasons unknown to me, but I will respect his wishes as he has respected mine."

Her answer did not spark any uproars, so the revelations continued, skipping over Artemis.

"I'm Korrina, pleased to meet you. I'm the guardian of Hephaestus." Korrina carefully removed her hood and her mask, revealing light brown hair with streaks of blonde. Her face had a gentle splash of freckles, which only accented her farmer's tan. She smiled, showing off pearly white teeth.

The next guardian, unlike the others, removed his coverings before speaking. "Hello, my name is Kallias, guardian of Aphrodite." He shook his hair out, letting the black locks flutter. His striking blue eyes flashed with lightning as they caught the light, showing that he was obviously a son of Zeus. A few campers swooned as he grinned.

"Yes, yes, Kallias thinks he's wonderful. Anyways, my name is Galene, and I'm the guardian of Hermes, the most fun god." Galene gave a mischievous grin, nodding her head. The movement caused her ginger waves of hair to sway. Her dark grey eyes－which were nearly black－held curiosity and the potential for causing havok, but also a controlled side, showing that she was able to reign herself in if things got too far.

"The name's Demetria, and I'm the guardian of Dionysus." Demetria just let her hood fall and turned in a full circle, saluting and returning to her place. Her shiny black hair whipping around as she did so.

"Um… hello. I guess I'm last." the shortest of the guardians stepped forwards from Hades' side. She pulled off her hood and mask, revealing a young face. She looked like she was about thirteen or fourteen years old. She was definitely younger－physically－than all of the other guardians. "My name is Berenike. I chose to be the guardian of Hades over three thousand five hundred years ago. I've been training hard ever since," she said. Her hair fell to cover her face as she spoke, the pale, white-blonde strands shining like morning frost. Her eyes were a pale grey colour, which made her irises almost appear to have merged with her sclera.

Once she had stepped back, it was silent again, until Alkaterine－Zeus' guardian－spoke up again. "Well, now that we've all been introduced, we should head back to Olympus. I fear that this battle is only just the beginning. We guardians must get to know our charges better so that we can administer our skills in battle properly. We all know the basics, but nothing is better than meeting someone face-to-face," she said, clapping her hands together.

Zeus nodded, suddenly snapped out of his trance-like state of mind as he desperately tried to remember the names and features of each of the guardians. "Oh, yes. Of course. That is very important. Let's go," he said, though his voice didn't have its usual confident tone.

With that said, he and his guardian vanished along with Hera, and soon, the rest of the Olympians had gone as well, leaving only the hunters and Artemis, the Romans, and the Greeks.

"Lady Diana, on behalf of Camp Jupiter, we'd like to invite you, your hunters, and your guardian to stay here while you recuperate," Reyna offered.

Artemis' form flickered for a second, but she smiled. "That is very generous. We will accept," she answered the maiden.

"Very good. We hope your stay here is a pleasant one." Reyna then turned to her comrades and sent them on their way. The Greeks were escorted to the extra bunkers－which were built especially for such an occasion.

Artemis turned to her hunters, "We will stay here until we are at full strength again. Please try not to sever any male limbs during our stay."

The hunters all smiled at their mistress. "No promises," Thalia joked.

 **Word Count: 2473**


	6. Chapter 6

**The Calm Before the Storm**

 ***Third Person Point of View***

After the new guardian had been summoned, everything went back to normal. There were rarely any monsters attacks, and the sightings of monster greatly diminished. It was as if there were no monsters at all anymore, as the gods usually sent their guardians to seek out their children and guide them safely to either one of the camps in groups of five to ten.

The children that the groups consisted of were of all different ages, and they were spread out across all of the United States, and even in other countries surrounding it. Sometimes, a guardian would have to travel across the oceans to Europe or Africa to find the children of their charge, though it was rare.

On their way to the camps, the guardian would defeat all of the monsters that dared attack them, training the children the basics of survival. It was almost as if, in the short time they traveled together, they became a family.

Unfortunately, whenever they reached the camp they were destined for, the guardian would say goodbye, and head off to either find more demigods, or return to their charge.

Each of the camps were flourishing, though they were incapacitated, so new sections were always being added. Camp Half-Blood had nearly doubled in size during the past few days, while Camp Jupiter was spreading its borders past the hills, the barracks expanding steadily.

Meanwhile, Artemis' hunters remained at their constant state and size. With all of the demigods being recruited by the Guardians, they couldn't get to any demigods unless they went straight to the camps, which none of them wanted to do ever since hey'd heard about the literal demigod flooding that was happening at both places.

"Milady, do you believe that having the guardians around to escort the demigods to camp is a good thing?" Artemis' guardian asked one night at the campfire.

All of the hunters turned to their mistress, awaiting her answer, but she stayed silent. The flames danced, reflecting off of her face in a mysterious manner.

"I do not know," she finally said, speaking slowly. "While les of the demigods are being slain, there have become so many of them, and the monsters just seem to keep thinning in numbers. I fear that the reasoning behind it is that the monsters keep the overflow of godly children at bay, so that they do not overpopulate.

"Now that there are less threats, there are too many demigods. Too many to teach. Too many to organize. And they have become lazy. Now that the guardians are around to save and protect them, they no longer feel the need to train. I fear that they become more and more like the gods every day, back when the gods first acquired guardians. They must learn, as we did, that the guardians cannot do everything, though they try.

"When the guardians were first summoned, the gods did not have to do their own work. They could sit in their palaces eating and sleeping, while their guardians enforced the laws. The guardians, though wise, respect their charge's wishes, and do as they say, but eventually, they must rise to voice their opinions. They say that history is always doomed to repeat itself, and we know, well and true, that it is. I just fear, that this time, the threat will be worse than ever."

Artemis once again fell silent, and did not speak for the remainder of the night.

Currently, the hunters trekked through the steep mountains and angled slopes of the Rockies. Artemis could sense many monsters around the area of Alaska, the Land Beyond the Gods. She would sense them gather at its borders, but as soon as they crossed over, her powers were useless.

The hunters and their guardians would have to go alone. At first, the hunters were reluctant, but they were glad that they had their guardian with them to help when needed. Unlike the campers, the hunters continued to train endlessly. Their pride as students of the great Artemis wouldn't allow them to rely on the full protection of a male. For this reason, they were thankful that their guardian was no a female, because it drove them to train to become better than him.

Artemis informed them, that while they were in Alaska, looking into the disturbance, she would return to Olympus, and that they should contact her as soon as they'd crossed the border back into Canada.

"I will be attending business elsewhere. Stay safe," she said. The hunters all looked away as their mistress' body glowed she teleported away to Olympus.

Once they were on their own, the hunters crossed the border into Alaska, and all felt a slight drain of their powers. The blessings of Artemis that provided them with power dampened, and each of them suddenly felt more tired, slower, and more vulnerable. They hated traveling to Alaska.

The guardian noticed that his companions were moving slower than usual, and turned back to face them. "We must keep moving. The sooner we discover what the disturbance is about, the sooner we can leave," he reassured them.

They all nodded in agreement, but it didn't change the fact that they were all exhausted. Their powers were dulled, and they felt mortal once again. They trekked further through the wilderness, the growing dread weighing them down. With their guardian leading the way, they felt more confident marching into battle, but the fear still lingered.

Just over another hill, which they had climbed, using narrow goat paths, as instructed specifically by their guardian, the hunters were met with another horrendous sight.

"I'm starting to hate hills. It seems that every time we reach the top, something terrible is on the other side," one of the hunters commented.

The guardian smirked as he recognized Thalia's dry humor, though this wasn't a laughing matter. Monsters were gathering; they were building an army to destroy Olympus.

It seemed to stretch on forever. The hunters and their guardian merely stared out into the expanses of the monster ranks, as they had for the past few hours, contemplating their next move. There seemed to be every kind of monster that ever lived gathered there. It was as if they had all heard a calling to arms. Almost as if an unknown force was bringing them all together in order to achieve one common goal: destroying the gods and everything they stood for.

The roar that suddenly rose from the masses startled the hunters, and their attention was drawn to a single, large tent off to their left. Luckily, it was quite close, so they could see the large podium in front of it.

Atop the podium stood a man. Just a man. It didn't seem as if there was anything special about him. From the tip of his head to the tips of his boots, he was normal. He had plain black hair, plain green eyes, and plain white clothes.

As he parted his lips however, the whole perspective changed. He spoke confidently, preaching about the tyranny of the gods, and the rights of the monsters.

"You are _gifts_ to the world. You should not have to hide in the shadows. You must rise up to take this world from it's cruel oppressors. The gods have wronged you all, and you must avenge that. You must avenge your fallen brother and sisters. For you are all the same. Whether you have fur, feathers, or scales, you are all part of one family.

"No monster shall hide in the shadows, desperate for his next meal. No monster shall be banished to the realm of eat or be eaten. To regenerate through the most painful of processes. To be pulled apart, only to have his very cells smashed back together differently. To be slain time and time again, given the curse of immortality, destined to die over, and over again. To watch his family murdered before his eyes under the executioners we call sustenance. We must stand together, brothers and sisters of blood, and take back the world that is rightfully yours!"

The hunters had to admit, the man's speech was inspiring, but something about it felt wrong. Who was he to preach to these monsters? Who was he to attain power over the savages? Who was he?

As if by some hitch of fate, the man knew they were there. He could sense them. The sweet aroma of their demigod blood. ' _But what is this?'_ he wondered to himself. ' _A guardian. A student of my dear father.'_ His pupils contracted as hate coursed through his veins.

' _Why choose weaklings like them to train? Why choose such frail being to be blessed with greatness? The man who banished his own son to a dark realm. The first prison. The first speck of darkness in the vast Universe. The son of Creation himself, cast into the darkness of uncertainty and pain. Sorrow and fear. Every negative thought and emotion manifested itself within my soul as I lay, rotting in my cell, shackled by the first chains crafted out of the first shadows.'_

The man gave a silent chuckle, and within his own mind, he sat, calm and collected, manipulating his solid form to remain calm and intimidating.

' _Why now father? Why have you chosen to send them now? To stop me? To withhold from me the justice I so richly deserve?'_ his inner conflict continued as he questioned his father's motives.

' _What would he do if I slayed his most prized pupil right here and now? What if I set an example of his disfigured body? To warn the gods of my power? To reveal the face of their hero just before his untimely demise?'_ A cruel smirk made its way onto the man's face. ' _No. Not just yet. I must make them suffer first. I must let my father know that he himself cannot stop me. None of his students can stop me. But first…'_ the man turned his attention onto the eavesdroppers.

Addressing the monsters once more, he cried out, "My brothers and sisters! Now is the time to prove yourselves! Destroy the pesky hunters of the Olympian Artemis! Feast my brothers and sisters! Feast on the blood of our enemies. We shall break their spirits before the war even begins!"

He then pointed towards where the unfortunate group of maidens. Their gaurdian tensed. He knew that voice from somewhere. But where?

Before they knew it, the monsters were nearly upon them. The guardian had no choice. He sent a massive distress signal through the ECU. The Emergency Contact Unit. Only to be used in life or death situations. It seemed pretty reasonable to use it.

Immediately, the other guardians appeared, and together, the twelve of them marched upon the army, confronting the enemy with determination and a bond stronger than any the world had seen before.

"Defend the hunters at all costs! We must overcome this onslaught! It is the only way we will get out alive! Once the time is right, I will give the signal, and we link arms. No man nor woman left behind!" the hunters' guardian ordered, obviously the leader of the group, though he was far newer than the others.

The next few moments were a flurry of steel and claws. The monsters lunged, only to be cut down. The guardian struggled to keep the army at bay, for every monster they banished, two more would take its place.

By the time a sixth of the army had been demolished, a clear voice rang out through the masses. "Stop! My brothers and sister, cease!"

The monsters immediately drew back, though each and every one of them were itching to attack. They could barely contain themselves in their own bodies, but they all knew what would happen if they crossed the Master.

He strode to the front of the group, an almost cheery smile on his face as he eyes the sweaty, panting demigods in front of him. They all had their masks still, but their hoods had been torn off long ago.

"My friends," he greeted. "We must not fight. It is unnecessary. Too much blood." He gave a fake shudder at the thought of the red liquid.

"Who are you?" Aikaterine called out to the man, brandishing her double-ended spear. Electricity crackled on both ends, the sound being the only thing heard.

The man chuckled. "So you haven't heard of me? How sad." He gave a shrug. "Well, I know all about you. Aikaterine, daughter of Apollo. _The guardian of Zeus!_ " he exclaimed, over exaggerating.

Aikaterine tensed, glaring at the man.

"Well, I'm not here for you. For the record, I find you kind of boring. Guarding the _king_ of the gods and you aren't even in charge of your troops? How pathetic!" he spat. "No. I'm here…for him."

He turned his attention towards the Guardian of Artemis. "How is it…that one man can command so much respect? How is it that the _newest_ _chosen_ guardian rose so quickly to become the leader of all? I'll tell you." The man shifted his focus, turning directly to the hunters.

"But first, why don't we set the mood?" he asked. He snapped his fingers, and suddenly, the world turned black.

What happened next confused everyone. One second, they were in Alaska, confronting an army of monsters, and the next, the seemingly mortal man transports all of them to Olympus－sans army－directly into the throne room, where all of the gods are sitting in their respective thrones.

"What's going on here?" Zeus demanded, leaning forwards.

"Ah! I'm so glad to see all of you! I was just telling these fine people here the identity of your guardians' leader. The man behind the mask, remaining anonymous, even though it's forbidden to keep secrets from the god or goddess you are responsible for protecting." His voice started out light, but by the end, it grew to be downright accusing.

Artemis' guardian suddenly tensed, and the rest of the guardians moved to surround him and the hunters.

"Our leader's identity is none of your business. The Great One himself agreed that his identity would remain secret until he wsihed to be revealed!" Nereus exclaimed.

"Be silent, guardian of Athena!" the man commanded. His face suddenly became calm, probably due to a thought that bubbled up within him. "Wait a minute. Do none of you know who he is? And yet you follow him?"

The guardians all became slightly more defensive, giving away the answer to the man's question.

"What does it matter if we know who he was? He proved that we can trust him! We would follow him to the ends of the earth if we had to!" Nereus claimed.

His protests aroused a series of agreements from the remaining guardians. As they argued for his sake, the guardian of Artemis smiled. He was so grateful to have friends like these. He knew that it was inevitable at this point. His identity would be revealed sooner or later. ' _Why not now?'_ he thought.

The man scoffed. "I am surprised by you, son of Poseidon. You do not even know the identity of your own brother?" he questioned sarcastically.

This statement caused everyone to freeze.

What did he mean? Artemis' guardian was a son of Poseidon? Could he be…? No… It was impossible…

The man smiled, seeing the confusion that he had caused amongst both the gods and their guardians.

"What do you mean? Which son of mine is he?" Poseidon asked. He had had many sons over the course of the past three thousand years. Any one of them could be the man under the mask. He couldn't afford to hope…

"I believe that _he_ should be the one to tell you," the man said casually. "It wouldn't be fair of me to reveal the big secret. I know that he was _really_ looking forward to it."

Everyone turned to Artemis' guardian then, and soon, he found himself in the center of a circle which consisted of his fellow guardians, as well as the hunters.

He looked away for a moment, before turning back to face his audience. Taking a deep breath, he slowly reached up. Everyone watched with bated breath. Whose face would be underneath? Could they afford to hope for the one they all missed? And if it was him, would he forgive them for all they had done?

It was as if time had slowed down, and the wait was agony for all who watched. The mysterious man grinned as he saw the onlookers grow nervous. He could practically hear their thoughts screaming at him. He fed off of their uncertainty and fear. He relished the negative emotions that weighed them down.

The Guardian of Artemis had finally placed his hand on his hood ready to pull it off. He hesitated－though only for a second－as he did so. Readying himself, he tossed his hood down to rest on his shoulders, allowing his short, slightly shaggy black hair to spill forth.

His chin clenched and unclenched－clearly showing his nervousness－as his hand landed upon the cool metal of the silver mask. He gave a small tug, and the mask came loose quite easily.

The grin on the man's face slowly grew wider, until it became equal to that of the Cheshire cat－ready to split his face open. He let a small, maniacal laugh to escape his lips as he watched with his cruel, beady black eyes.

As the Guardian's hand fell to his side, the mask tight in its hold, everyone gasped. It couldn't be! There was just no way!

The laugh finally bubbled, bursting forth loudly so that it echoed throughout the entire throne room. Everyone turned to the mysterious man, whom was still there, laughing as the Guardian of Artemis had been forced to reveal himself to the very people who sentenced him to death.

"Why would you do this? Who are you?" Nereus demanded, brandishing his sword.

The man stopped laughing. He looked at Nereus, his Cheshire grin still remaining on his face. "I am a man of many names, and none at all. I have had many forms, and yet I have never been solid. I am the very idea of hate. The ambassador of pain. The son of the Creator of all. You may call me Télionix," he said.

 **Word Count: 3078**

 **CSP2708**

 **Dylan Walts**


	7. Chapter 7

**Identity revealed**

 ***First Person Point of View***

I stood silently, staring up at the Olympians. I faced my peers, none of whom knew my identity either. They only knew me as the Guardian of Artemis, their trusted leader. Usually, it was tradition for a guardian to reveal their identity when they joined the guild, but the Great One himself gave me a pass of secrecy, and they'd accepted that. They'd been so kind to me during the past fifteen years, and I never even graced them with my real name,

The evil man who forced me to show my face－Télionix－was still smiling. He knew that this would cause us to crumble. The Olympians obviously regretted their decision－as I'd sworn to them before my death. I could tell be all of the small gestures and actions they took since I returned from the other realm.

I wasn't ready to forgive some of them just yet, but I would try. It was the only way to defeat the enemy. If we left issues unresolved, it would tear us apart before we even marched to the battlefield.

I was brought out of my thoughts as Télionix disappeared in a flash. A loud snapping sound broke through the air, leaving the scent of death and blood. The last sound was his laugh, before the throne room fell silent once more.

Artemis seemed the most shocked－probably because I'd been her guardian for the past few days and she hadn't even known. My father seemed to be a close second though, and I could see tears welling up in his eyes.

"P-Percy…" he whimpered.

"Father," I replied briskly. I kept my face stoic, not allowing any emotions to slip through－as my training taught me to do. I couldn't allow them to see the many emotions that I was feeling, for there were too many for even me to register. I couldn't process any of it.

I smiled at Artemis, Hades, Hestia, Apollo, and my father gratefully－the same smile I'd given them right before my death. They all immediately broke down to tears; I assumed that they were not quite ready to believe that I was alive.

I turned my attention away from them, focusing on the rest of the gods. They were all looking down in shame and guilt, and as sickening as it was, I felt comfort in that. It was appealing to know that they regretted their actions. Hopefully, they'd learned from their mistakes.

Zeus was the first to break the silence. "Perseus Jackson." He paused, and seemed to be mentally preparing himself for what he was about to say. I could see it on his face. "Perseus Jackson, as the representative of the Olympian Council, I humbly apologize, and ask your forgiveness."

I smirked internally at his pained expression. ' _This is a once in a lifetime situation! Zeus apologizing… to me? I love it!'_ On the outside, I kept my stoic expression, my face making me appear to be almost bored.

"You executed me for something that I did not even do. You called me a traitor and used that very Master Bolt to turn me to ash. If it wasn't for the Great One, I wouldn't have even made it to the Underworld. My soul would have fallen into the River Styx and been lost forever. All because of your jealousy. How does that make you feel, _uncle_?"

He flinched when I called him uncle. He probably hadn't heard that word in a long time.

"I have returned from the dead to once again protect you Olympians, but I did not do this for you, uncle," I said. "I chose to do nothing but train for the past fifteen years so that I could repay the debt I owned to those of you who believed that I was innocent."

The gods all looked down, but the five i mentioned looked at me happily.

"I'm not ready to forgive you just yet, uncle, but I will fight for you. I will protect Olympus with my last breath, and I will happily die a second time. Then, I may retire to the other realm, eternally at peace."

I then left the throne room, walking out through the large doors and making my way purposefully to the elevator. Everyone stopped and stared as I passed, the expressions on their faces clear. They thought I was a ghost, walking among them as solid flesh and bone. I couldn't degrade them for it though. I'd returned from the dead: a Living Legend.

 ***Third Person Point of View***

The Olympians were left in shock. Their hero had returned, but he had changed. He kept himself closed off and stoic, no longer the carefree son of Poseidon they knew. What tore them up most though, was knowing that it was their fault. They had done horrible things to their hero. Horrible things that he did not deserve.

The hunters had gone back to traveling, accompanied by Artemis as they'd left Alaska, but their family was less seamless. Everything was stiff and tense most of the time, as both Thalia and Artemis wished to speak to Percy, but they didn't know when to get him alone to talk.

Finally, Thalia worked up the nerve. During one lunch break, she stomped over to where Percy was sitting, and said: "Percy, we need to talk."

He didn't look up at first, merely finished chewing. Once he swallowed the bit of deer meat he'd been eating, he turned to face her. "What about?" he asked casually.

Thalia's face turned red. "'What about?'! You know what about! You came back to life and you didn't even tell us! You didn't even tell Artemis and she was one of the gods who didn't want you to die!" She was screaming. All of her pent up anger at the world, at Percy, and at the gods was being released.

She continued ranting at percy, and he sat there, listening. He had a calm expression on his face as she screamed at him, taking in everything she was saying. Once she was done, he said, "I'm sorry that I didn't tell you, but I wasn't ready to reveal myself. It would've made it real, and I don't think I could've handled it right away. I'm sorry."

Thalia was shocked. It was clear as day on her face. Her jaw dropped, her eyes widened, and she sputtered a few sounds, unable to reply. Suddenly, she broke down, pulling Percy into a tight hug. She sobbed into his guardian uniform, her cries muffled by the darkening black fabric.

Percy wrapped his arms around her shoulders comfortingly, rubbing gentle circles on her back. He spoke soft nothings into her ear, apologizing over and over again. He wished that he had told her, but if he'd told her, then he'd have to tell Artemis, and if he told Artemis, he would have to tell the others that defended him. He wasn't ready for so many people to know he was back from the dead.

Thalia's sobs soon ceased, and she knelt, hiccuping into Percy's chest. "Sorry for messing up your uniform. You might want to change before you go anywhere," she said.

Percy nodded, but at the moment, he didn't care.

Thalia then stood, her body growing rigid once again. "If you tell _anyone_ about this, I will make you wish you stayed dead," she threatened.

Percy merely laughed, causing every single one of the hunters to look at him from where they sat twenty feet away. They'd given the two friends their privacy, but Percy's laugh had peaked their interest. He hadn't laughed since he'd been summoned, and it was relieving to know that the old percy was still somewhere beneath the surface.

Artemis peaked out of her tent at the sound as well, smiling lightly. In some way, he still reminded her of the young boy she'd met on the cliff. The boy she'd stopped Zoë from slapping at those years ago.

Percy was laughing, and everything was going to be fine.

 **Word Count: 1336**

 **CSP2708**

 **Dylan Walts**


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8**

 **The Flames of War Have Caught**

 ***Third Person Point of View***

Télionix watched the exchange with fire in his eyes. He was supposed to be torn apart! He had been forced to reveal his identity to not only his peers, but also to the very people who had betrayed him and allowed him to be blasted to ash by their king!

"I must do something," he muttered, leaning forwards on his throne to slash through the image. He left the tent he'd claimed for his own, and addressed his monsters.

"My brothers and sisters! We must destroy the demigods while they are weakened! They have grown lazy in their training! They rely on the guardians to protect them! We must target the guardians and force them to surrender! We must strike in all places! Split them up so that they cannot call reinforcements! Half of you will go to the Greek camp, and the other half will go to the Roman camp! As for me, I will deal with Perseus and those pesky hunters."

The monsters all let out cries of rage and war. They were ready to finally exact their vengeance upon the demigods and the gods who banished them to the dark pits of Tartarus. They all gathered and sharpened their weapons, whether they be swords, maces, or claws.

They were ready to attack.

It was the middle of the night, but Percy woke up. He sat straight up in his bed, his breath coming in short gasps. He could feel droplets of ice cold sweat trickling down his spine, sending his body into frantic shivers. Something bad was happening. He could feel it. Somewhere, somehow, his family and friends were in danger.

He quickly jumped out of bed, changing into his guardian's outfit. Leaving his tent, he saw… nothing. Relaxing for only a moment, he stepped fully out of the safety of his tent, grabbing his sword from his belt.

He stood guard for the remainder of the night, absolutely certain that something was going to happen. He didn't know what, and he didn't know when, but it would happen to his hunters. It would happen to his charge, Artemis, and he swore that he would protect her with his renewed life.

As always, his instincts never lied, as he felt a sudden change of temperature and air pressure, and suddenly, Télionix stood before him.

"I see you have been expecting me," he said, his voice conversational.

"Of course. I mustn't be rude to guests," Percy replied, his voice taking on the same conversational tone as his enemy. His fingers loosened on his sword, allowing himself to give off a less threatening appearance. He was ready to jump into action right away though, as his many years of training allowed him to do.

"No," Télionix agreed, nodding his head, "You mustn't." He turned away from Percy for a moment, taking a few steps away from the camp with his hands clasped behind his back.

Suddenly he turned back to face Percy, "Are the others awake?" His eyes flickered to the tents, as if expecting an ambush.

"I don't think that concerns you. We are having such a nice talk, why interrupt it?"

A smirk grew on Télionix's face. "Very well. How are you?"

"I'm good, thanks. And you?" Percy silently willed for his goddess and her followers to awaken, hoping that they would be able to fight along at his side and not be helpless to become collateral damage.

"I am very well, thank you. I was just telling some of my friends about you. We plan to destroy you all." His tone was light, and there was a bright smile on his face, neither of which were matching his words in any way.

"Of course. I was expecting as much. Nothing you can say or do will break our spirits, my friend."

"Oh, no, no, no! I did not mean to give you such an idea! I do not wish to break your spirits! No! I wish to break your neck!" He suddenly lunged at Percy, two abyss-coloured duel swords appearing in his hands.

Percy sprung into action, blocking both swords with his own. They both pulled away from where their weapons collided, and spun away from each other, stopping in the general dual positions. Together, they bowed, and lunged at each other once again, the clash of swords turning into a clash of lightning as the weapons moved faster and faster.

The clanging and scraping of their swords must've been loud enough to wake elephants, because before long, the hunters were all out of their tents, half dressed, but all with their bows. Artemis appeared at the flaps of her tent as well, though she was fully dressed and fully alert.

All seeing the dual between Percy and the crazy madman, they readied their bows and waited for openings to attack.

"Stop!" Percy cried suddenly before they could fire.

Everything immediately froze, Télionix and Percy included. They were both panting from their dual, but both respected the pause, using it to its fullest.

"You are _so_ noble! Aren't you Perseus?" Télionix asked. His breaths were short, and his struggled to pull in anything longer than a gasp. On his face however, there was a wide cheshire grin, and a crazy spark in his eyes.

"You would not let any opponent attack another in a proper dual either, would you? I can tell that you are a stickler for tradition," Percy observed.

"Of course! _I_ invented these rules!"

"Really?"

Télionix let out a laugh. "I was once a noble man. I invented the rules of honor for duelling. I was the one who enforced the laws. But, for whatever reason, my father－ _your master_ －banished me! It's only a matter of time before he banishes you to the dark realm as well for a crime you didn't do."

Percy remained silent, for the words struck him directly in his soul.

"We're not so different, you and I. I wonder what made you decide to forgive such a ruthless act. You could've been like me. Get revenge on those who wronged you! I am on the winning side! Join me, and we can be brothers!" Télionix kept getting louder and louder as he spoke. He spread his arms, as if praising the Lord, but all those present knew that it wasn't what he was doing.

"No…"

Télionix's arms faltered, and he looked at Percy. "No?"

"I didn't forgive those who wronged me. I couldn't then, and I still haven't now. I'm not doing this for them. I'm doing it for those who didn't turn against me. I came back because there were still people I cared about in danger. You didn't have any other loved ones. Your father probably saw this darkness inside of you from the beginning, and sealed you away, in hopes of hiding this part of you deep inside. Unfortunately, you allowed the feelings of betrayal and darkness grow and take over. You were too weak to fight the evil inside of you. I am not like you. I will never let my inner demons reveal themselves, because I will forever fight them. I still have light inside me. That is how we are different, Télionix. That is why I still fight for on the side of life!"

Percy then lunged once more at his opponent, and seeing that he couldn't win against percy when his mindset was so overpowering, Télionix fled.

Percy swung just as Télionix's body turned to wind, and he stumbled for a moment, regaining his balance.

He stood straight, breathing heavy after his long, motivational speech. Sheathing his sword, he turned back to his charge and her followers.

"Percy…?" Thalia asked cautiously.

"Thalia."

"Are you alright?"

"No."

Percy turned and walked back to his tent. His guardian outfit swished behind him, for he was walking quite fast, and the flaps of his tent were tossed aside so forcefully that they swayed for several minutes after he disappeared.

Camp Jupiter was peaceful at last. The Romans continued their training as usual, but the fun and games had increased. Training seemed to no longer be the most important thing in everyone's schedules. They resorted to playing Mythomagic, or play pranks on their fellow legionnaires.

Reyna, as the Praetor, could barely contain her new recruits. They were nowhere near as loyal to her as the conditioned veterans. Her new co-praetor was no help either, as he usually spent his time training the demigods in combat, and rarely had time for anything else.

She didn't mind that he helped to train the demigods though. It helped them to stay prepared for attack. They were strengthening their borders and adding more and more Romans to the border patrol, but it didn't seem to be enough.

The constant inflow of lax demigods was going to destroy them eventually. Reyna only hoped that they'd be able to survive the eminent war before that they survived the war, they'd be able to survive anything.

A particular blonde-haired girl walked through Camp Half-Blood, inspecting all of the new trainees that they'd received recently.

Ever since the guardians showed up, they'd been nearly overflowing with campers. Before, they'd had barely over two hundred, but now, they had over eight hundred! She could see both the pros and cons of having the guardians around.

The pros were pretty straightforward. More and more demigods were safe, and they had protection from monsters.

The cons though, were numerous. Firstly, with so many demigods in one place, the magical borders were barely holding the location from monsters, so they could find the camp even without the help of a powerful being guiding them. Secondly, with so many demigods not even knowing basics and not enough trainers, training had slackened. Classes were larger, and there was barely any one-on-one contact between the teachers and students anymore. Also regarding to training, since the guardians were around to defeat any and all monsters that dared come close, the campers no longer felt the need to train so hard.

Once the blonde arrived at the arena, she saw that her class of fifty was already there, waiting for her.

"Sorry class! I had to attend to other matters, but I'm here now!" she called.

She saw her son, Anthony in the crowd. He was smiling at her. He'd always been ready to learn. She was glad, because she'd always worried that he'd take after the rest of the demigods, most of whom were his friends, as he'd been born and raised within the camp. He was only seven, but he knew how to wield his weapon of choice, a dagger, quite well already.

His father had been the one to craft that weapon for him. He was a kind son of Hephaestus whom she'd met nearly five years after Percy, her first love, had been executed.

After that dreadful day, she'd mourned for three years, only finding comfort in her closest friends. Finally, she'd realized that he would have wanted her to be happy, and she tried to move on. She spent two years on her own, catching up on her training, and one day, a new demigod stumbled into camp, and caught her eye.

From that day forwards, they became inseparable, and he'd found that he'd fallen for her as well. He proposed, and they were married, right there at camp, and soon their son Anthony came along.

The blonde was pulled from her fond memories as her class responded to her. "What will we be learning today, Mrs. Chase?"

 **Word Count: 1922**

 **CSP2708**

 **Dylan Walts**


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

 **The Battle**

 ***Third Person Point of View***

Just as Annabeth was beginning her combat class, everyone suddenly went silent. Nothing but the clanging of metal could be heard. It was as if a hush had fallen over nature itself. Annabeth looked up from her students, seeing that dark clouds were quickly accumulating over their heads. That never happened. Something was wrong.

In the distance, she and the young demigods could hear the rustle of armour and weapons. They heard the pounding footsteps of an army. A close army. They heard battle cries and roars as well, and everything became clear. Something was _very_ wrong.

The enemy was approaching and they were not prepared. Annabeth immediately took action. "Everyone to your battle positions! Grab your weapons! Strap on your armor!" she ordered. She then turned to a son of Apollo and said: "Aaron, take the untrained demigods to the bunker and keep them there. If they get caught up in the battle, they will die."

The seasoned demigod nodded, and began leading the younger and untrained demigods to the underground bunker. They had only just recently built it when they'd heard the news about their new foe. With so many demigods, they'd decided to have a safe house to protect the young ones and the demigods that had yet to be trained.

The camp was in chaos. The demigods－some in armour, some not－were running everywhere, scrambling to get to their posts and battalions. If they couldn't get ready in time, they'd never hold off the monsters wishing to invade their home.

Just as the monsters were coming over the hill, the demigods were ready. Upon seeing the faces of the children they hated, the monsters all let out their unique battle cries and charged. The demigods charged as well, raising their weapons, ready to defend their home.

Annabeth fought strategically, and was the one shouting orders to her fellow demigods. With her leadership, they were winning. As she called to a squadron of Ares campers, she silently prayed for the guardians to show up and aid them in the defence. Camp Half-Blood could not﹣and would not﹣fall. Not while she was around.

Camp Jupiter was in a similar situation. It was the second attack that week, but luckily, the number of opposing monsters was less than the previous battle. They charged into the fray, their training having not faltered, and quickly disposed of many of the monsters' footsoldiers.

The stronger monsters, however, were not as easily slain. They felled many demigods, and the unlucky children were left to bleed out in the grass of the fields of Mars. Time could be spared for them.

Reyna was in the center of the masses, fighting with more ferocity than she ever had before. She prayed to the gods to send their guardians to protect them,but she knew not to rely on them. If they could not be saved by the guardians, they'd have to protect themselves and their brothers and sisters.

All around her, she could hear the clanging of metal on claws, and the roars of both triumph and defeat. She trembled at the thought of her brothers and sisters in arms falling to the enemy, but she couldn't let herself think about it. She had to focus on what was right in front of had to send more monsters back to where they came from. Back to Tartarus. Alas, it seemed that with every monster she disintegrated, two more would take its place.

On Olympus, the gods watched in horror as their children fought for their lives. Zeus was especially conflicted, as the gods in front of him were constantly switching between their Greek and Roman forms, both begging to send the guardians to either camp.

Finally, he came up with a plan. "Olympians!" he began. "Half of you send your guardians to the Greek camp, and the other half, to the Romans. I am sending Aikaterine to the Greeks to aid my son, Jason. Apollo, Athena, Aphrodite, Poseidon and Athena, send your guardians to the Greeks as well." He then turned into his Jupiter form. "Meanwhile, Vulcan, Mars, Bacchus, Mercury, Pluto, and Ceres, send your guardians to defend the Roman Camp."

The Olympians nodded and each turned to their guardians, sending them to the respective camps.

Turning back to Zeus, he smiled sadly. "I only wish that we could help them ourselves," he said wistfully. "Alas, the ancient laws forbid us from interfering with the affairs of mortals. As there are only monsters in the armies, we cannot help our children. Only if there is an opposing immortal."

"Father?" he heard.

Turning, he spotted Artemis standing near the door.

"Yes Artemis?" he asked. He was quite confused as to why she was visiting him in the throne room. It was also a surprise to him that she was speaking to him at all; even if Percy was back, she and the others still hadn't forgiven him for what he had done.

"Father, I have news to report. Earlier today, my camp was attacked by Télionix. Percy managed to defeat him, but now Percy is in a bad way. He is okay physically, but mentally, I fear that his mind cannot take anymore strain. He is pushing himself too far," she told him.

"Oh?" her father asked.

"Since coming back, he's been…different. He is closed off from us. With Thalia, he seems more relaxed, but still…" Her concern for Percy was clear in her voice. "I fear that one of the only worthy men of this earth has been broken."

Zeus leaned back in his throne, his eyebrows furrowing. "I see. Daughter, you know that I am truly sorry for what I have done. If I could take back my actions, I would. Alas, I am not my father so I cannot change the past. Hopefully, good will come out of this. We just need to give him time. Percy is back. I am sure that it's a good sign. The great being may have saved him from having his soul destroyed, but Percy chose to become a guardian. That meant that he still cared. I'm certain that the old Percy is still inside, hidden deep within your guardian's heart."

Artemis gave a sad smile. Her father usually didn't know what to say to make her feel better, but his words calmed her rampant mind slightly. "Thank you…father. You're probably right."

She turned to leave, but Zeus suddenly remembered, "Artemis, wait!"

"Yes father?"

"Both demigod camps are under attack. The rest of the gods are bound by ancient laws, but you, my daughter, are not. Please aid either of the camps to defend against the monsters who threaten them," he said.

Artemis nodded. "My hunters and I shall leave for Camp Half-Blood at once. It is the closest to our current campsite."

 **Word Count: 1136**

 **CSP2708**

 **Dylan Walts**


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10**

 **Guardians to the Rescue!**

 ***Third Person Point of View***

Just as Annabeth thought the camp was doomed for good, their saviours arrived. Six guardians appeared to aid them, all destroying the monsters with ease, driving back the enemy forces.

Annabeth breathed out a small sigh of relief, but quickly caught herself. The battle wasn't over just yet. "Archers! Move in!" she yelled to the Apollo cabin. "Ares cabin! To their right flank!" She continued to yell out orders and the campers helped to finish off the last of the monsters.

Once all of the monsters had turned to dust, Annabeth looked around. There were so many wounded campers and so many dead. Tears filled her eyes as she saw her fallen brothers and sisters.

"Campers, half of you collect the wounded and bring them to the infirmary. The other half, collect our fallen allies and prepare their shrouds. We shall send them up in flames tonight. May they pass into the Underworld safely," she said.

As her peers nodded to her, she gave them all a sad smile, before turning and bending down to pick up an injured daughter of Athena. Her younger sister, Mary, who had arrived at camp shortly before the guardians were summoned. She was only eleven, and reminded Annabeth of herself when she had been that age.

As she carried the bleeding girl to the infirmary, Anthony jogged up to her. "Mom! Are you alright?" he asked. He had a large gash above his left eye, the blood from it dripping into his eye, partially blinding him.

"Yes, I'm fine. What about you?" she asked. Concern laced her words.

"I'm okay, mom. Don't worry," he said. Suddenly, he perked up, as if he'd remembered something. "Mom! Guess what! I killed a hydra today! Dad helped me!"

Annabeth smiled at her son's excitement. "Is that so? Congratulations. Anthony, where is your father?"

Anthony's smile dropped. "He's… uh… He's busy…tending to camp," he said.

Annabeth frowned as well. "Of course he is." She gave a sad smile. "He's always busy with one thing or another. But that's just how he is!" She sighed wistfully at the thought of her husband. He was all business, and since the war began, he's been quite busy, unlike everyone else. If anything, he was doing more to make up for the laziness of everyone around him, not even taking breaks for sleep or fun.

As she got to the infirmary, she dropped off her younger sister to be treated by the Apollo children, and frowned at the sight of so many wounded campers. Apollo's guardian－Lysandra, she vaguely recalled－was present as well, checking each camper and using her special powers to heal the more serious injuries within seconds.

Leaving the infirmary, Annabeth sighed. When would the pointless suffering end?

Reyna fought like demon. If the guardians wouldn't help them, they'd help themselves. She continued hacking and jabbing, ignoring the blood spilling from her person. She'd worry about her injuries later. For the moment, she needed to fell as many monsters as possible.

To both her left and her right, she saw her brothers and sisters in arms fall, either injured or dead, under the enemies' might. There were moments that she wanted to stop and check on them, but she forced herself to continue fighting. There was no time for that.

Suddenly, it seemed that the tides had turned. The monsters' numbers were diminishing at an intense rate, and finally, Reyna knew why. She saw six guardians push past her, forming a protective wall in front of the Romans.

Reyna smiled as she saw them easily destroy the army before them. They were going to live! She didn't take her eyes off of the fight though, until the very last monster disintegrated.

Once that had been accomplished, she was able to tear herself away to look at the multitude of bodies that had been scattered throughout the fields of Mars. The sight brought tears to her eyes as she looked upon the still faces of her allies, never to smile again, never to fight, never to move. She saw children of Mars; she saw children of Vulcan. She saw children of Apollo and children of Ceres. She saw legacies and half-bloods alike lying wounded or worse in the mud.

"My comrades!" she called to all those who remained, "We must collect our dear friends, who gave their lives in sacrifice to the cause! We must treat our wounded, so that they may not suffer the same fate as their brethren! We shall honour them to the fullest, and fight on in their name! Long live New Rome!"

"Long live New Rome! Long live Olympus!" the Romans chanted before dispersing to collect their fallen friends and allies.

Reyna gave one last sad glance as the field, before heading over to where the guardians all stood, their faces solemn. "I am sorry for your loses. We should have helped sooner," the guardian of Mars told her.

' _Eulalia,'_ Reyna thought, ' _Her name is Eulalia.'_

"Things would have been worse had you not come to our rescue. For that, we are in your debt," she replied.

Eulalia waved her hand in dismissal. "No need. We were merely following the Olympians' orders to protect their children. Like Percy, we will protect anyone who is important to our charge, though it is not one of the requirements laid out in our oath."

Reyna tensed as the guardian of Mars mentioned her old friend. She was shocked, for she hadn't heard Percy's name mentioned in nearly a decade. "Percy?" she asked.

Eulalia's eyes widened. A guilty expression made its way onto her face, and the faces of the other guardians as well.

"Yes. Perseus Jackson is a guardian. In fact, he is the guardian of Artemis. It was revealed to the Olympian gods－and us as well－that he had been made a guardian. We do not know how much he means to you, but from what we have heard, he was a very close friend to all back in his time," the guardian of Vulcan told her. Reyna remembered that this guardian's name was Korrina.

"I see," Reyna said quietly. "Thank you for telling me."

"I'm sorry, but I'm sure that you'll be able to speak with him soon. Just give him time. He's still dealing with all…this," Korrina told her, motioning wildly with her hands while trying to explain things to the daughter of Bellona.

"Alright. I guess I'll just have to wait for the right moment. For now, I must attend to my campers." Reyna excused herself, giving the guardians one last small smile, and left to help collect the fallen warriors.

 **Word Count: 1104**

 **CSP2708**

 **Dylan Walts**


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11**

 **They Know**

 ***First Person Point of View***

I groaned, fiddling with my mask. I had once again been called to Olympus. Why me? Why did I have to chose life in servitude to the gods? I should've said no. I should've declined his offer. But I couldn't. I knew that I still had things to accomplish. I couldn't just abandon those who stood up for me. Damn me and my weak heart!

My thought process suddenly cut off as Zeus spoke. "Welcome, Olympians, guardians, and campers－"

That was the moment that I noticed that the campers of both camps were also present. I'd been so deep in my own thoughts that I hadn't heard them arrive. Looking around at all of them, I could see new faces, but also old faces. I saw Annabeth, the seven, Reyna, Nico, and many more.

They all looked so much older, but then, I remembered that it's been fifteen years since we defeated Gaea together. Unlike them, I was immortal, and would remain looking like a teenager forever. Of course, I could decide to look older, as it was an ability that the Great One gave all of us Guardians, so that we wouldn't have to be one age forever.

Focusing on Annabeth, I saw that she was standing with a man and a boy. I smiled. She was seventeen when I'd last seen her. Now, she was thirty-two, and had a husband and a little nine-year-old boy who looked just like her. She looked happy, happier than I'd ever seen her before when we were together. That was good.

My eyes scanned the rest of my friends, who were all happily with the ones they loved. Jason and Piper had finally gotten together, but I noticed that they didn't have any children. Same could be said for Frank and Hazel. My eyes continued down the line and I saw Nico and Will standing together. The sight brought a smile to my face. They'd gotten together too, despite the obstacles. That was nice. Leo was still alone though, but I guess that was okay. He must've still been searching for a way to free Calypso.

Once I looked at Reyna though, my eyes narrowed. She was looking at me. Like, right at me. She knew something was up. Someone must have told her.

Once she saw me looking, she quickly turned away, whispering to Hazel and Frank, who were standing closest to her. She was whispering out of the corner of her mouth, so I couldn't read her lips, but whatever she said must've been about me, because in an instant, the two looked over at me, before Reyna smacked them, causing them to avert their eyes. Yes. They were definitely talking about me.

The rumor spread throughout my old friends quickly, and soon, all of them were staring right at me. At that point, there was no doubt in my mind. They knew. Someone had told Reyna my true identity, and she couldn't keep her mouth shut. Now they all knew who I am, and who I was.

I sighed. Note to self: demigods are terrible gossips.

"What's wrong?" a voice next to me asked suddenly. The voice, having come out of nowhere, surprised me. I leaped in the air a few inches, but quickly regained my composure, turning to Thalia, who had spoken.

"Whoa, Perce. Don't give yourself a heart attack. I'm just asking if you're okay," she said, a small grin playing across her lips.

"Sorry. I'm a little jumpy at the moment. I think they know."

Thalia seemed taken aback. "Who?" she asked.

"Them." I nodded in the direction of my old friends. She turned to look, and nodded.

"Yup. They definitely know," she decided.

I groaned. "Thanks for stating the obvious," I replied sarcastically. "What should I do about it?"

Thalia scoffed. "That's not my problem, now is it?" She put her hands on her hips, glaring at me playfully. "But if I were you, I'd either tell them, or try to throw them off your scent. Depending on who told them, I'd go for the second option. If it was a credible source, well… good luck with that."

"Thanks for the support. I know for sure that someone must've told Reyna, because she couldn't have found out otherwise. Then she told all of them."

"Ha! She couldn't keep her mouth shut, could she?" Thalia asked.

Her laugh was quite loud, and drew the attention of everyone in the room. We were so dead.

"And what about this matter is so funny, Ms. Grace?"

Thalia turned red in the face, both from embarrassment, and anger. Of course, Athena had called her 'Ms. Grace' and she hated her surname. "I'm sorry," she muttered. "I wasn't listening."

I chuckled. She was _so_ embarrassed. Called out in front of all of the Olympians _and_ the campers? Ouch. That must've put a spear right through the heart of her pride. "Sorry," I whispered to her.

"It was my fault, Lady Athena. I apologize, but I was speaking to Thalia here about private matters. We should have been paying attention, we're sorry," I said, bowing deeply.

Athena turned up her nose. She may have changed, but she was still picky about people paying attention. "Very well. Given who you are, I shall excuse it just this once," she replied.

"As I was saying," Zeus continued, "As both of the camps, as well as the hunters, have been attacked, we must prepare. The guardians may have been able to save them this time, but just because they are here, does not mean that the demigods can slack in their training. I understand that there aren't enough trainers for efficient training, therefore, I suggest assigning a few guardians to each camp to help train the new campers."

Many nods of agreement rose from both the olympians and the campers at the idea. ' _It would definitely increase the rate of which the campers learn,_ ' I thought.

"Also, I think it best that the hunters stay at one of the camps. They are a small, powerful group, but given enough opponents, they can be taken down and we cannot afford to lose such skilled fighters. Daughter, I will leave it up to you and your hunters to decide which camp you wish to reside in until after the threat has been vanquished."

I looked at my goddess, only to see that she was annoyed by the idea, as I thought she would be. She sighed, and I could practically see the gears turning in her head. Finally, she spoke. "Fine. My hunters and I will stay at one of the camps. We shall decide which one after the meeting, and head there right away," she decided.

She suddenly met my eyes, and I knew that she was going to consult me. I sent her a grateful smile. I was glad that she was considering my feelings.

Zeus smiled, apparently quite happy that his daughter agreed, but I also think that he was happy that she was speaking to him again. I'd heard the rumors. I knew that the five gods who'd defended me had cut themselves off from the rest of the council after my death. Now that I was back, their bonds were healing, which was always good.

"Very good," Zeus said. "Everything seems to be in order. The hunters at one of the camps, the guardians training the campers as to help ease the quantity problem, and our defences are in the process of being upgraded. I cannot see why we will lose the war."

The rest of the gods nodded in agreement with him, and he said, "Meeting adjourned… Unless anyone had anything to add?" He added the last part as an afterthought, but leaned back in his throne once again as silence met his question.

The campers left first, each camp followed by the guardians that would escort them back and begin their training. The gods were each teleporting back to their palaces as the hunters were leaving.

"Milady," I began, catching up to Artemis. "Which camp were you thinking of?"

She pursed her lips in thought, and then turned to me. "Whichever one you feel more comfortable staying at," she replied.

"Milady, as honoured as I am, you mustn't base your decision on me. As your guardian, I will follow you wherever you go, disregarding my own comfort﹣"

"Precisely," she cut me off. "And I've decided that this time, _I_ will disregard my own comfort and follow you where _you_ go. That is final."

I bowed my head. "Very well. I would prefer to go to the Greek camp. Not only because it was where I grew up, but because I feel like the Greeks will need more than the other guardian's help training. They received many more campers than the Romans, and of course there is the fact that the Romans are more disciplined than the lax lifestyle of the Greeks."

Artemis nodded. "Then it is decided. We shall go to the Greek Camp." She snapped her fingers, and everything around us folded, before white enveloped my vision.

 **Word Count: 1519**

 **Dylan Walts**

 **CSP2708**


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12**

 **Furious, Rampaging, Irritated, Extremely Nettled Demon Skeletons = F.R.I.E.N.D.S**

 ***First Person Point of View***

I was blinded by white, but as soon as I blinked, colors sprang to life in front of me. They folded out of a single point, and finally, I could see the vast expanse of Camp Half-Blood in front of me. It was just as I remembered it. The cabins in the distance were glowing in the sunlight﹣especially cabin seven. Everything seemed to have been recently repainted, and there were a few new buildings, but other than that, it was like I'd never even left. I knew I'd been here only recently, but I'd never really looked around at that point.

Breathing in deeply, I looked around at the place I'd once called home. It wasn't a bad place. It didn't have bad people. It just had bad memories. Memories of all the things I couldn't do, or couldn't be, because of my death. I left behind everyone and everything I loved; they all moved on without me, making something with their lives.

Before my thoughts became too out of hand, I snapped myself out of them and turned to look at Artemis. "Shall I escort your hunters to their cabin once again while you inform Chiron of our arrival?" I asked politely.

I couldn't help but shudder as I remembered the last time we'd stayed at the Greek camp. I'd put a camper of two in their place, and had gained the same fearful respect as the hunters. At least they wouldn't bother us during our stay.

Artemis nodded.

"Very well, milady," I told her, bowing slightly. Holding out my arm in the direction of the cabins, I said, "Right this way."

Thalia punched me as she passed.

We made it to the cabin without too much hassle, as the boys knew to to stay back. Luckily, the campers that had seen what happened last time were also advising the new campers to stay away. Good. That will keep both the hunters _and_ the campers from being bothered in any way. That meant no unnecessary stress for me.

As Thalia walked in, she slammed the door in my face.

Staring at the door for a few seconds, I said, "Okay."

I stood there, awkwardly, before Thalia opened the door once more, laughing in my face. "Fine. You can come in. Just no funny business!" Her finger shot up to point directly in my face. Her eyes flashed with warning.

And so began the conversation of what to do with the campers during our visit. It seemed that there would be a lot of pranks in the near future.

Artemis arrived at the cabin later that night, just in time for dinner. The next morning however, Aremis decided to head up to Olympus to help with the preparations, because she knew that the hunters could handle themselves.

"I'll be back tonight. Don't kill anyone while I'm gone," she'd said jokingly before teleporting away.

Despite the hunters promising to be good, their faces morphed into evil grins as soon as their mistress vanished. I knew that I had to interfere.

"Hunters! As your guardian, I must tell you that I have planned to help train the campers today. There are too many for even my fellow guardians to handle teaching, so you may not see me very much today. Luckily, since I am going to be teaching, you won't see as many boys today as you would have. Try not to kill anyone," I informed them.

They all nodded earnestly, but I could tell that as soon as I was gone, they'd be planning something malicious.

"Campers! Get over here and stand in rows of eight!" I ordered. My voice was directed towards the large mass of orange and bronze that stood at the outskirts of the training grounds.

The mass immediately ran over, tumbling and tripping as it moved, and pretty soon, I had campers－both boys and girls－all standing in front of me in sloppy rows of eight. There were about nine rows, but the very back row only had six kids. So that totaled to seventy campers in my class. Oh, goody.

Pacing in front of the group like a dramatic general, I said, "Now! You are all new to camp, yes?" I asked.

There were quite a few mumbles of yes. Looking out at the crowd, I saw that most of them had their armour on crooked, or they were struggling under the weight of the heavy metal. Scoffing, I sighed.

"Very well! Today, I will be helping you to choose your weapon. From there, you may be sent off to a specific trainer to learn how to use it. This weapon will be the weapon you will train with until you master it, so choose wisely! To help you choose, we will have short, ten-minute training sessions with each weapon. When you find a weapon you like: _remember it_! At the end, you should have either a list of weapons you'd like to use, or a single weapon you've decided on," I explained. "We will begin with swords! By row, I want you to come up and get your sword!"

The rest of the training session went well. We practised one-handed swords, two-handed swords, bows, spears, maces, javelins, daggers, and throwing knives. Luckily, it wasn't much of a problem getting every camper their weapon figured out. There were at least ten that knew right away what they wanted to use. Five of the campers didn't like any, so they were a bit of an annoyance, but the rest all had a few choices, which narrowed down easily.

I was just finishing up polishing the blade of my sword after class when I felt a presence approaching behind me. Scratch that, a bunch of presences. There was a whole group of people behind me!

Turning, I saw the people I was dreading to cross paths with: Annabeth, Jason, Piper, Leo, Nico, and Will. ' _Great. Just great!'_ I groaned silently.

Putting a polite tone in my voice, I said, "What can I help you with?"

Annabeth scowled. "Stop playing around Percy. We know it's you. Reyna told us that one of the Guardians said that you were Artemis' guardian."

I hummed in thought. "I see. So one of the guardians told you that? Very well. I guess sooner is better than later." I went to remove my mask, but immediately took off in a mad dash. They would never find out the truth! Never!

Unfortunately, they caught me. If it weren't for Nico summoning some skeletons to block my path, I would've made it. I stopped, bouncing on the balls of my feet as I searched for a way out. More and more skeletons were ripping the ground, crawling up from the Underworld. There was nowhere for me to go.

Suddenly, I was tackled to the ground, two heavy bodies holding me down. Frank and Jason then picked me up, holding my hands behind my back as Annabeth came forward and pulled off my mask.

She immediately dropped it. "Percy!" I was tackled by a cluster of people from all sides, but my vision was mostly obscured by the mass of blonde curls right in front of my face. "Annabeth." I chuckled. "I missed you too."

She stayed nestled in my arms for a few more silent moments, just letting her body heat sync with mine. Finally she unwrapped her arms from my shoulders and… punched me in the face.

"Ow!" I cried, grabbing my jaw. I could already feel it swelling. I'd heard a _crack_ too; that couldn't possibly be good news.

I was about to demand what in Hades was wrong with her, but I stopped as I saw her face. Red eyes and nose, tears streaming down her cheeks, messy wet hair. I couldn't stay mad at her.

"I'm sorry, Annabeth., but I couldn't exactly come back after dying. This was my only chance to come back, and I had no idea how long it would take," I explained. "Besides, I saw you yesterday with that guy. You're married aren't you? With a son?"

She nodded.

"Good. I'm glad you're happy. Maybe I'll get there someday. Doubt it though. Guardian of Artemis? Doomed to forever hand out with eternal maidens? Good luck Percy," I muttered to myself.

Annabeth laughed, as did the others surrounding us. I smiled. It was just like old times. Well, except that they were all, like, thirty years old and I still hadn't reached my twenties. Besides that, though, just like old times. I guess them knowing wasn't as bad as I'd thought it would be.

I returned to the cabin that night happy. Even though I'd had to help train two more classes of demigods after my friends left, my mood hadn't dropped. My friends knew I was alive and they wouldn't tell anyone else. It was a good day.

Pretty soon, Artemis appeared and we all went down to the Dining Pavilion together, every single one of us ready to eat,

I sat down at the Artemis table for dinner after sacrificing some food and met Annabeth's eye. I gave her a smile, one which she returned.

"Who are you looking at, Perce?" Thalia whispered to me before cutting off a piece of steak and popping it into her mouth.

"I told the others who I am. Now they know for certain," I explained in a quiet voice.

She nodded and swallowed her bite of steak. "I figured as much. You just can't keep a secret. It always comes out sooner or later."

I chuckled as she took another bite. "You got me. I can't stand lying to those I care about."

She shrugged, looking up from her food. "Whatever." Then she went back to eating.

 **Word Count: 1626**


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

 **Preparations**

 ***Third Person Point of View***

The next few weeks were quiet. Luckily, thanks to the guardians' and Percy's help, both camps were being trained more efficiently. The classes were dwindling from their overwhelming size now that the new campers were becoming quite skilled at wielding their chosen weapons. Surely, they would stand a fair fight against most monsters they would come acoss.

The defenses on both camps, as well as Olympus, were coming along swimmingly as well. Large walls had been built around the perimeters of both camps. There were even walls that sectioned off different areas of each camp. That way, if they lost one part of their home, the enemy would still have to fight hard in order to overtake the rest. Therefore, they could always fall back if it was entirely necessary.

Percy believed that the changes were a good improvement, but he still couldn't help but feel even more distant from the camp that kept changing more and more from the place he'd once called home. He could hardly even recognize is once it got to the point of no return. He could no longer look over the rolling hills and admire the natural beauty of it from afar.

He still had his friends, though, and they were being very supportive of his choices. He even smiled every time he remembered meeting Annabeth's new family.

" _Percy! Come on! I have someone I want you to meet!"_

 _Annabeth had been nagging him all day. Finally, around noon, she'd given up trying to talk him into it, and resorted to grabbing his arm and dragging him to wherever she wanted him to go._

" _Annabeth! Wait up! I'm coming, I'm coming!"_

 _Once Annabeth ceased her incessant pulling, Percy was able to focus on where he was. The Athena cabin. It looked just as he'd remembered it. There were maps and scrolls everywhere: on the walls, on the tables, on the shelves. Though it had been extended to accommodate more campers, it still looked like the cozy brain-cabin he'd been in before. Wandering around the cabin were the blonds he was expecting. In the back, though, he could see a brunette man with a young boy sitting on what he remembered to be Annabeth's bed._

 _Percy vaguely recognized the two from the council meeting, and assumed them to be Annabeth's spouse and son._

 _Annabeth dragged him over to the two. "Percy, I want you to meet my husband, Ryan, and my son, Anthony."_

 _Ryan stood up, finally noticing them. "Hello. It's an honour to meet you in the flesh. The first few years I knew Annabeth, you were all she talked about." Percy shook his hand; Ryan had a firm grip._

" _I'm not really in the flesh. More like a ghost from the past," Percy joked._

 _A light, childish chuckle came from below, and Percy looked down to see the young blond boy, Anthony. He crouched down. "Hey, buddy! I'm Percy. I was friends with your mom back when we were both only a little older than you."_

 _The boy frowned. His expression then became one that Percy recognized with nostalgia. Anthony's thinking face was nearly identical to his mother's!_

" _That can't be! You're_ way _younger than mom!" he protested._

 _Percy chuckled as Annabeth flushed red. Her son had mentioned her age._

" _No, I assure you it makes sense. You see, I went away fifteen years ago. When I went away, I stopped aging. Your mom wasn't so lucky. Well… I can't say that. If she'd gone through the same as me, she'd never have you!" Percy ruffled the young boy's hair._

" _Hey!" he cried, throwing his arms in the air to block Percy's much larger hand._

 _Percy returned to his full height, laughing at the young boy as he tried to fix his hair._

" _You have a great family, Annabeth. You're lucky," Percy said._

 _Annabeth smiled as Ryan scooped up Anthony in his arms and walked out of the cabin with him. At the door, Ryan turned, and waved before exiting. "I know. I only wish you could've gotten the same. You'll never be able to have a family, will you?" she asked._

 _Percy shook his head. "No. As a guardian, maybe I could have, but as Lady Artemis' guardian, it's a long shot. We're always moving around, and I'm around a group of eternal maiden girls who I don't think would appreciate the company of a girl who's broken the oath they swore themselves to."_

 _A look of pain flickered across his face for a brief moment, but it was so quick that it could have just been a trick of the light. Annabeth placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed it comfortingly. "You'll find happiness Percy. I just know it."_

Every time he looked back on that moment, he thought to himself that he _would_ find happiness as Annabeth predicted. She was no prophet, but when she got a feeling, Percy knew that she was right more than ninety percent of the time. It was also nice to hear it, even if he himself didn't believe it was true.

Sighing, Percy made his way to yet another class. This time, he was teaching the more elite practitioners some new maneuvers. He was going to teach the entire class a single new move, but the move was quite complicated. It was one that he himself had a hard time mastering during his training with the Great One. It was a move that could be used with a variety of weapons, so he could see many different weapons gleaming in the crowd as he arrived.

"Alright class! Today, I will be teaching you the double-handed reverse strike. It is used to throw off your opponent. Most of the time, it should also make them unbalanced enough for you to land a killing or incapacitating blow."

He then demonstrated on a less-than-eager volunteer. The reaction was instant the moment he finished the maneuver. The crowd "ooh"ed and "awe"ed as Percy's opponent fell back onto his rear end, allowing Percy to swing his sword in the motion to cut off his opponent's head, but stopping short, just as the blade touched the other man's throat.

The man gulped as he felt the cold metal pressing on his Adam's apple, the movement only pressing his esophagus closer to the deadly-sharp edge.

"As you can see, had I not stopped short, this man would surely be dead. Thank you for the help, Paul." Percy let the man up and Paul was quick to scurry back into the crowd.

"Today, I will show how to apply this maneuver into your battle strategy. We shall be working on this move for the next few classes, and eventually, I will teach you how to recognize and block this technique before it is used on you－though that is quite a bit harder. I expect you all to be practising these moves outside of class time as well."

And so, the lesson began. Percy had them split into groups of two, three or four, matching them up according to their skill level and weapon. Pretty soon, they were all sloppily attempting to mimic the movements that they'd seen in the demonstration.

It wasn't going very well. Already, Percy had needed to step in to avoid loss of limbs in his class.

After quite a few more failed attempts from each of his students, he was able to move their arms and bodies in the correct positions, demonstrating slowly to each small group that gathered around him, and by the end of the class, a fair few of them were performing the move fairly well. The most skilled of his students were successfully following through on the move at least sixty to seventy-five percent of the time.

The whole class had lasted four hours, so Percy was glad to head over to dinner after a hard day's work.

He plunked down onto the end of the table, next to Thalia. He was exhausted.

"Rough day?" Thalia asked.

He nodded, digging into his food lazily. He'd already sacrificed to the gods before sitting down, so he was glad to just sit and eat. Chewing slowly, he met Thalia's eyes. As he did that, she could clearly see the deep, dark circles on his face.

"Wow. Perce, you have problems! You need sleep! How long have you been working with the campers?" Thalia exclaimed.

Percy shrugged. "All day, every day. I wake up early, teach my first class, teach two classes after breakfast, two classes after lunch, and four after dinner. Though I usually spend my extra time before lunch hanging out with my old friends. We've been catching up. After my final class, I then get to sleep and repeat the whole cycle the next day."

Thalia gave him a sympathetic look. "I wish I could help, but I need to keep the hunters sharp. I don't allow any slacking on their part! That usually means I'm busy all day with them all. A few of them are a bit egotistical about their archery. A few of the newer ones don't want to practise because they're pretty bad and get disheartened quickly."

"It's alright. I'll be fine. I just need to talk to Chiron and get my hours shortened. Now that most of the campers are getting better, they can teach the newer kids and have advanced classes with the veterans.

"I hope it happens soon. I don't want to bunk with a zombie. Why do you think I avoid Nico when it gets dark?"

Thalia's jokes usually lightened the mood, but Percy didn't feel like laughing. After picking at his food for a few more minutes, he stood and retreated to the cabin. On the way, he stopped by Chiron to tell him that he had to cancel his evening classes.

Upon seeing his former student's state, Chiron immediately agreed. "Get some rest boy. I'll see you in the morning, hopefully around lunch time. If you wish, I can send someone tomorrow to bring you breakfast in bed."

"That won't be necessary Chiron. As kind as the offer is, I can make it down here for breakfast tomorrow. As long as I can also sleep through my morning classes tomorrow, I'll be right as rain."

"Alright, m'boy. I hope you sleep well. Our preparations are well along the way to complete, so you should rest easy on that thought."

Chiron then waved him off as he returned to the Artemis cabin, retreating to his own personal room, which the hunters had built as an extension on their cabin, stating that "their guardian needed his own room that he could stink up with his guy smell and not disturb them".

Collapsing on his bed, he was out as soon as his head hit the pillow.

Meanwhile, far away from the peaceful preparations of the camps, Télionix was also preparing his troops. As more and more monsters flooded through the open gates of Tartarus, his ranks were only increasing. Gathering them was the easy part. Organising them on the other hand, that was what gave Télionix his headaches.

"Argh!" he screamed, throwing a large weapon stand across his tent. Everything was going wrong. The hellhounds were in the empousia's squadron, the cyclopes had taken over the Manticore's den, and there were drakens slithering around everywhere, crushing many of the unlucky telekhines and dracnea that got caught under their long scaly bellies.

Inhaling deeply, Télionix tried to calm himself. Getting frustrated would only make it worse. He didn't want it to get worse. They were monsters. He knew that problems would arise. All he had to do was gain their trust, respect, and fear. Those three things would make him their undisputed leader and they would follow his every command to the letter.

He decided it was time for another speech. This time, he'd begin like the others, appealing to them as his peers, and then, he'd incorporate fear into his words. He, of course, was even more powerful that Tartarus, their master. It should be in their very nature to fear him.

Straightening his uniform, he exited the tent, a large smile plastered on his face. He rose up onto his podium, and very soon, silence fell over the army. Good. They feared him a little, but it was time for a new dose of terror to run through their veins. He would not allow his revenge plot to fail.

"My brothers! My sisters! Have I not served well as your leader? Have I not lead you well enough for us to achieve victory?"

Many cries of protest rose from the crowd. Of course, they believed that he was the greatest general to ever live. His plans, even though they'd failed both times, were still more complex than they'd ever heard of.

Télionix smirked. "Then tell me my family, why aren't we standing victorious over our enemies yet? Why do we remain here, hiding from the gods and their demigod spawn? Why must you, the greater species, live in fear and starvation?"

He paused for dramatic effect, allowing the more comprehensive monsters ponder his words. The others, sadly, only stared at him blankly.

"It is because we are not united, my brothers and sisters! Our ranks do not stand even with our enemies because we fight as individuals! We fight separated from one another, while the enemy fights as one unit! They work together to defeat our most powerful, and pick off the rest of our ranks once our ranks have broken. In order to win this war, we must learn to combine our strengths and make up for our weaknesses! We cannot ever gain if we continue on like this: jumbled, confused, and mismatched. We must unit as our enemies have done! Only then, will we be able to stand even with them. Only then will be by able to stand _above_ them!"

His speech finished in a way he did not expect, but he smiled as he received the reaction he was looking for. The monsters were all looking around, and the smarter ones must have realised what he meant, for they were organising their small groups into the proper order. They were taking charge of their squadrons just as Télionix had hoped. These monsters would be his commanders. They would lead his army to victory in his name.

He would have his revenge.

The end was drawing near.

In his bed, Percy woke up gasping, his eyes wide.

 **Word Count: 2426**


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14**

 **The Final Battle**

 ***Greek Demigod's Point of View***

Everything was a blur ever since I woke up to the sound of screaming. I vaguely remember shooting up out of bed, scrambling to get dressed and strap on my armor, but after a weapon was pressed in my hand, all I saw were flashes of blood and dust and teeth.

My sword flashed in front of me, digging through monster flesh every few seconds. It was coated in dust from the monsters I destroyed. I could hear my heart beating wildly in my chest. My whole body vibrated from the unsteady pulses. My head pounded, but if I stopped to even think about it, I would die.

I fought for what felt like hours, and I could feel my limbs getting sore. My legs were burning, and my lungs felt like they'd been ripped from my chest long ago. I kept fighting though, because the waves of monsters just wouldn't stop. No matter how many I killed, more just appeared, ready to tear me apart.

Blood poured down my arms and torso from the many cuts and gashes that littered them. As I fought, I cursed all of the monsters that had gotten lucky enough to hurt me. Every wound gave the rest of the monsters a better chance of killing me.

I twirled my sword, using the new move that Artemis' guardian showed me the other day, and another empousia was sent back to Tartarus, her nasty scream echoing through my brain. Her two sisters took her place, their bronze legs clanging loudly and their donkey hooves clopping mutedly against the rocky earth.

I couldn't even stop to celebrate my victory, as the two of them attacked me, lashing out with their claws and their fangs. If I was any slower in my sidestep, they'd have had nme on the ground, draining every single drop of blood out of my body.

Then, one attack ended it. I had just cut a dracaena in half when I felt sharp claws rake across my back. I cried out, turning to see a hellhound standing over my fallen form. It lunged, and I knew that I'd be no more. Right before I met my end, I closed my eyes, accepting my fate.

 ***Earlier That Morning***

 ***Third Person Point of View***

Percy had woken up the next day quite restless. He'd barely slept a wink due to all of the nightmares he'd had. He trudged towards breakfast, tired and sluggish. There were deep bags under his eyes, and to those around him he was a roaming zombie.

That all changed however, when the conch horn was blown three times, signalling an attack. Percy was wide awake within second, his whole body glowing. Once the glow dimmed, he stood there in full battle armor, the darks bags gone and his eyes flicking back and forth, aware and alert. He took off in a mad run towards the border.

As soon as he arrived he saw so many monsters he nearly fainted. There were twice as many foes as he'd ever seen in his life, and he knew right away that they'd lose a fair number of campers in the fight. Before the battle even began, he knew they'd need more shrouds than ever before. It was a sad truth.

Percy threw himself into the fray, seeing that many campers were already there, fighting. He could see Apollo campers and the hunters, all sitting in the trees or other high places, picking off monsters with their impeccable aim. He could see Ares campers leading the others into battle with fierce cries, tearing through each and every creature that stood in their way. He could see Athena campers directing their kin into the fight, telling them a strategy that always ended with an entire squadron of monsters defeated.

All around him, campers and monsters alike were dying. Each and every time he saw one of his brothers or sister fall in battle, his rage grew, and he fought hard, hoping to fight off the monster scourge and defeat that blasted villain once and for all. Yes. Télionix would pay for his crimes.

He saw said criminal standing at the highest point of the camp, watching over the battle. Percy narrowed his eyes. Télionix wasn't even fighting his own war! Suddenly, a smile overtook Percy's angry expression. Well, that was about to change.

He charged straight towards him, tearing through any and every monster that stood in his way. He passed his fellow guardians, who were fighting at extreme speeds. They were aiming for the more powerful monsters, destroying the large drakens and the fifty-foot tall hellhound that had appeared out of nowhere.

Télionix caught Percy's eye, and Percy glared. His expression sent a clear message to Télionix. They would fight, and Percy would do everything in his power to win.

Pretty soon, the two foes were standing eye to eye. Neither dared to blink as their short-time rival's breath brushed their faces.

"You shouldn't even be here. People shouldn't have to die for you to solve your own petty problems," Percy said.

"But they do. I must make others feel the same pain that I myself have felt. Only then may I have peace."

Percy's eyes narrowed. "How can you be so selfish? Why would you subject innocent lives to the pain that you yourself deserve to endure? A real warrior would never do what you have done!"

"What I have done?" Télionix roared, "What I have done? You don't know what I have done! I did not deserve such punishment from my father! A son should _never_ have to suffer such pain from his own _father_!" Télionix suddenly lashed out, his black sword materializing out of thin air. It sliced through the air as he swung, aiming to cut Percy's head clean off.

Percy's reflexes saved him. He was able to quickly draw his own sword and block the attack, just in time. Télionix's icy-cold blade pressed against his own sword, so that Riptide's blade was pressed into his own throat. He pushed back against the pressure, but Télionix was much stronger than him.

Choosing a different tactic, Percy slipped out of the way, allowing Télionix's sword to continue its downward path towards the dirt. Percy turned, seeing Télionix readjust his posture. His sword left a deep gouge in the dirt, and Percy gulped. That could have been him.

He charged back at his foe, their blades locking together once again. Percy stared into Télionix's eyes as they fought, and for a moment, he saw a flash of pain. He knew that it was no trick of the light. Looking deeper, he saw a struggle. The inner turmoil he saw in his opponent's eyes was too strong to ignore.

He pulled his sword away and tackled Télionix to the ground. A cloud of dirt rose as they tumbled to the ground, landing with a loud thud.

"Unhand me this instant!" Télionix growled.

"Listen. You don't want to do this. Everything that's going on, it's all because you've let the darkness within take over. You've been in exile so long, you've allowed your inner darkness take control. Fight it, Télionix. You must _fight_!" Percy urged.

During his time as a guardian, he'd seen many a warrior fall to his own dark thoughts and become corrupt. He wouldn't let it happen again, and he certainly wouldn't let it cause innocent lives to be at risk.

A flash of pain overtook Télionix's eyes once again, and he pushed against Percy. They were both standing again in an instant, but Percy managed to get the upperhand once again,and pulled Télionix into a headlock. His strong arms wrapped around his opponent's neck, holding him in place and squeezing just enough so that the airway was compromised.

Percy could feel his enemy straining to fight. His body went limp and sweat began forming on his face. The darkness was strong within him, having festered for so many millennia.

"But… my father… he banished me!" he cried, his eyes glistening with the beginnings of tears.

"I know…" Percy said, trying to calm his foe. "I know. But it was because he was afraid. He saw the darkness within you, and he was afraid. He didn't want to lose his only son, but by taking measures to protect you from yourself, he only gave the darkness a way to take you from him. Now though, you can fight it. I believe in you. Fight it, and return to your father."

Télionix's eyes calmed. The sea of rage within the dark globes died down, and Télionix's tears were finally released, running down his face. He smiled, and in that moment, Percy saw the darkness dissipate.

"Thank you…" Télionix whispered, "Thank you…"

Percy stepped away and turned to face his foe. He held out his hand for Télionix to grasp in a handshake, but Télionix just shook his head.

"I have done too much wrong to have earned your forgiveness. There is only one way to make this right," he said. His head hung low.

Suddenly, he began to glow. It glistened bright gold, so much so that Percy had to look away. Pretty soon, the glow took the entire valley, and then, as quickly as lightning, the glow vanished, allowing Percy to open his eyes, seeing that Télionix was gone, as were all the monsters that he'd brought with him.

"He sacrificed himself…" he muttered. Sorrow filled his heart, but he smiled. "He has atoned for his wrongdoings. I hope this allows him to be at peace."

Percy stood stalk-still on the hill for hours after the battle, staring out at the vast expanse of Camp Half-Blood. Down below, he saw the campers milling around, some still confused as to how they had won, some helping bring the injured to the infirmary tents, and still others laughing and celebrating their victory.

Percy shook his head at the thought. It was no victory. They had won, yes. They had saved innocent lives, yes. But they had also lost so many of their brothers and sisters in battle. They had lost so many lives in a war that shouldn't have even happened.

He stood silently, and didn't even turn as he heard someone approach him from behind. He knew who it was. He didn't have to be on edge around her.

"We shouldn't have even had to fight this war," he said quietly, knowing full well that she could hear him.

"I know. But we did. And we won."

Percy nodded. It was only a slight movement of his chin, bit it was a nod nonetheless. "We must have many shrouds made. More than I've ever seen in my life," he continued.

"That may be true. I myself have seen many more than this during the millennia, but it is indeed a sorrowful sight. I cannot bare to think what would have happened, though, had you not saved Télionix from himself and won us the war."

Percy turned then, and smiled sadly at Artemis. "I know milady, but I just wish…" he paused, choking up a little on his words. "I just wish that for once, it wasn't me. I know it's selfish, but for nearly my whole life, there had been some devastating prophecy foretelling a war, and I'm stuck right in the middle of it all. This time, there wasn't a prophecy, sure, but there was a war. There was loss, and I'm done being a part of it."

Artemis took a small step closer to her guardian. She remembered when she'd first summoned him. She remembered the feeling of absolute devastation at the thought of losing her hunters, and she remembered the feeling of hope as the ritual worked and he appeared the very first time to protect her.

"Percy, you're wrong," she said.

"Pardon?" he asked, turning to her in surprise.

"You are wrong. There _was_ a prophecy for this war. It was predicted almost days after your execution, over fifteen years ago." Artemis was whispering at this point, as if speaking any louder would bring about bad omens.

"What did the prophecy state?" Percy asked, also whispering.

Artemis took a deep breath, speaking softly.

"Beware the Damned Son, revenge in his heart,

Returns to tear this world apart,

The chosen warrior returns from the grave,

To fight for those he's sworn to save,

One last quest to end his pain,

The foe, victorious or slain."

Percy's breath caught at the two final lines of the prophecy. If the prophecy was fulfilled, his pain would end. But… If that was the case, why did his chest still ache with phantom-pain? Why did he still feel like a part of his soul had eroded, leaving him nothing more than a desperate man, forever searching? He was an empty shell of the boy he'd been when he'd first arrived at camp. He was no longer the man he'd become after finally getting together with Annabeth.

Taking a deep breath, he forced his thoughts back to the dark corners of his mind. Turning to his charge, he said, "Now that the war is over, we may leave camp. Where will we be headed, milady?"

Artemis smiled. "They hunters are just resting up in my cabin. We should be all set to leave tomorrow morning. As for our destination?" she placed a finger to her chin, mocking deep thought. "We'll figure that out when we get there."

Artemis left Percy standing where he was at the top of the hill. She paused only once, to place a hand on Thalia's pine tree.

Once she was out of his sight, safely disappearing behind the solver-painted door of her cabin, Percy smiled. Now that the threat was over, being the Guardian of the Moon would change. They no longer had to look over their shoulders. They no longer had to stop at either of the demigod camps every other week. It would just be him, his mistress and her hunters, alone in the wilderness, fulfilling his lifelong oath to protect and provide.

Sure, he would miss his friends. He was pretty sure that they would miss him, but it wasn't goodbye. It was just until next time...

 **Word Count: 2376**

 **THE END?**


	15. Authors Note and Teaser

**Hey There the Story has been completed and I am making it clear that the second story is up since I am not allowed to just use a full chapter just for a small AN I Guess I will post a small snippet of the prologue in The Unknown Allegiance**

 **Prologue** **Life as Usual**

 ***First Person Point of View ~ Percy Jackson***

"Percy!"

I winced at the loud voice, but complied. Dropping down from the tree I had perched in, I made my way over to Artemis. She stood by the archery range, her hands on her hips, glaring at me.

"What seems to be the problem, milady?" I asked. It had been nearly a year since the war against Télionix, and Artemis seemed to have completely forgotten that she didn't hate me.

"You useless male! You've forgotten to sharpen the arrows!"

She continued her rant, pointing out different things that I'd _forgotten_ to do. In my defence, she'd only just assigned me with the meaningless, time-consuming chores a few days ago, and I wasn't used to having to do them. I didn't see why her hunters couldn't do their own chores, but－quoting Artemis－doing the chores for them "helped protect them from the stress of doing so much work" so of course I felt compelled to do them.

I bowed deeply, knowing that I wouldn't be able to argue. "I'm terribly sorry milady. I will remember next time. For now, I will begin. Hopefully I can finish at a time of your liking." I gave another deep bow, and left to complete my tasks. It was safer to be the most polite I could possibly be while Artemis was going through this 'phase' of hers.

Once I was out of earshot, I sighed. What was wrong with her? I mean, I know that she swore to be an eternal maiden and everything, and she hates all men because of it, but we were at least friends after the war! Why was she all of a sudden hating me? She'd begun treating me like I killed her puppy ever since a few months ago, when she'd suddenly snapped at me, surprising myself and even some of her hunters. Since then, she been giving me the cold shoulder unless she was yelling at me or commanding me to do something.

Once I'd finished sharpening all five hundred arrows, I continued on to doing the laundry. Thankfully, the hunters hadn't refined back to their hateful ways towards me, and avoided getting dirty as much as they could. I mean, we lived in the forest twenty-four-seven, so it wasn't perfect, but at least they weren't just rolling in the mud for the fun of it.

After the laundry, I went out into the forest to collect firewood for that night's campfire. The hunters were going out to kill us some dinner, so I guess collecting firewood wasn't the worst job I could have.

I sent up silent prayers of thanks every so often because I spotted the hunters all doing their part of help me with my newly assigned chores, even though they weren't supposed to. Because of this, I sent them grateful smiles every time I got the chance.

As soon as I'd gotten to a point that I couldn't possibly carry another twig, I returned to our campsite, and dumped the large pile of wood rather ungracefully next to the circle of rocks where our previous campfire had been last night. Continuing on to neatly stack the twigs in a tipi position around a ball of dried grass, I left the campfire.

Scaling the tree, I resumed my position in the tree. It had been exactly two hours since Artemis had called me down. My eyes scanned over the camp, watching for anything that had changed. A few of the hunters had disappeared, but I knew that they'd gone off to hunt for dinner. The others remained in sight, which allowed me relief.

"Percy! Dinner!" Thalia called up to me about half an hour later.

"On my way!" I called down.

She gave me a thumbs up and walked over to the campfire. The rest of the hunters were already there, and the fire was growing, just bright enough to light up the semi-darkness. The sun was setting, and only a small sliver was peaking over the horizon as I slid down the tree to join them.

Settling down next to Thalia, I thanked Darcy as she handed out small platters of steaming meat and berries.

"What are you doing here?" a cold voice asked suddenly.

I looked up from my meal, and to no one's surprise, Artemis was standing in front of me. She glared coldly, her eyes sparking red. The sudden change of colour made me look closer, but it disappeared so quickly that I brushed it off as a reflection of the fire.

"I am terribly sorry, milady. I shall leave you and your hunters to your meals." I already knew what she was going to say, so I'd prepared, quickly saying my piece and standing to leave.

As I turned, a small hand hooked my arm. "Don't go."

It was Trisha, the newest hunter. She was only seven years old, and had been in the hunt for a tender time of two weeks. We'd picked her up just outside of Salt Lake City in Utah, where her stepfather was abusing her after her mother recently passed away. She was a daughter of Apollo, and she'd inherited his bright smile and gleaming golden-blonde hair.

I gave her a soft smile, but looking up at Artemis' glowering face, I said: "Sorry, I can't. I'll see you later, though?"

Trisha nodded slowly, her eyes betraying her disappointment.

"Just stay with Thalia. She'll keep you company," I said.

I felt bad about leaving her. We'd really connected since I saved her from her stepfather's grasp, slaying the man where he stood. At first, she'd been shy around everyone, even Artemis, but after the first day or so of travelling with us, she warmed up to me and I convinced her to join the hunters so that I'd be able to protect her from men like her stepfather.

I dropped down at the base of my tree, my butt perched very uncomfortably on a large knot where the roots rose up above the ground. I ate the rest of my meal there, in the cold darkness on the outskirts of camp. The hunters all sat around the fire, which was roaring and bright now, laughing and talking. Occasionally, one or two would turn to look at me mournfully, their eyes full of pity, but they wouldn't say anything.

We all knew that there was something wrong with Artemis. Not only had she suddenly gone icy towards me, but she'd begun to close herself off from the other hunters as well. Even Thalia, her half-sister and closest friend, would get the cold shoulder on an odd day.

I'd made a mental note to go talk to Zeus privately after the next council meeting to see if he knew what was going on with his daughter. Hopefully, he would take up the matter with the other Olympians, besides Artemis of course, and they'd be able to come up with a proper plan.


End file.
